Old Debts
by Caribou Kid
Summary: A visitor aboard Seaview finds an excellent opportunity to settle an old debt with one of the members of the crew.
1. Chapter 1

**Old Debts**

By Caribou Kid

Today was his day, _**his day**_. This would be the day where all his hard work and sacrifice would pay off. This would be the moment his father had to acknowledge that he was truly the best and would finally have to grant him the recognition and accolades the best are due. He knew there was no chance that anyone could take the top prize from him this year. He had scoped out the work of his main competitors and trying to be as impartial as he could, he honestly felt they came up short. He had written and then practiced his speech over a hundred times; he was ready for his golden moment in the sun.

He'd laid out his best attire the night before ensuring there wasn't a hint of a wrinkle or smudge anywhere. The creases in his slacks were so sharp they could cut diamonds he thought amusedly. His shoes, brass buttons and belt buckle were so highly polished that the light reflecting off them was almost blinding.

He took extra time carrying out his morning ablutions. He cautiously shaved ensuring he didn't nick himself, he painstakingly combed his hair until each strand was exactly where he wanted it and clipped, filed and buffed his nails to perfection. He carefully donned his clothing and methodically tied his tie until the knot was perfect as well.

Once all the pieces were in place he stood back and admired the young man staring back at him in the mirror. He looked damn good, he was the epitome of a confident and accomplished man ready to step forward and accept the rewards and advancement towards his next goals in life.

(o)(o)(o)

The proceedings of the day seemed to take forever. The judges evaluated each project and quizzed each entrant about their work then finally adjourned to the deliberation room to compare notes and determine the winner of the contest. He tried as best he could to hide his impatience and to appear calm, cool and collected before his competition. He smirked mentally noting that they all seemed to be sweating out the judges deliberations much more so than he; he knew he had it all in the bag.

After nearly four hours the announcement was made that decisions had been reached and that those in attendance should move to the auditorium for the awarding of the prizes. He released a pent up impatient sigh and mentally began working through his acceptance speech as he walked into the room and found a seat near the front on the aisle.

As usual they started with the lower grades, each class having a winner. Upon hearing his name announced as the 12th grade winner he quickly rose and climbed the steps onto the stage to accept his prize. He smiled and gladly accepted the medal and the congratulations from the superintendent and the judges. Taking his medal and returning to his seat he scanned the crowd found his father and garnered a brief nod of approval. It was a start but there would be much greater acknowledgement from this man coming as soon as the overall winner was announced.

The next prize to be announced was for best project at the science fair, a slot in the national science fair two months hence and a scholarship to the winner's university of choice. He shoved his prize in his pocket and sat poised for the announcement. The projects in contention for the honor were announced and he was rather surprised to hear that a freshman had made the final three, he hadn't even considered that possible competitor.

The superintendent droned on and on about how difficult it was for them to narrow the field down to three and that all of the participants and especially the winners should feel proud of their accomplishments today. He sat there mentally trying to urge the man to the final declaration of the winner so he could grab his other medal, the scholarship and more importantly his father's approval.

As the superintendent made the announcement an almost stunned silence fell over the room. This was a first in the institution's illustrious history, a 9th grader took the prize and worse yet someone who had only entered for the first time and a guttersnipe charity case at that. He felt as though he'd been shot point blank in the chest and found himself having difficulty breathing. As the applause began to build for the surprised winner he joined the rest of the room in standing. He looked over to where his father had been standing by the door and noticed the spot empty, the door swinging slowly shut. He could clearly visualize the look of disdain and disappointment that most likely now resided on his father's face. The beating he had taken at the science fair would be no match for the verbal abuse he now faced when he returned home. Loser, disappointment, waste of space, embarrassment; the words flew at him relentlessly pounding him into the ground until he felt as though he'd been buried alive.

(o)(o)(o)

He sat bolt upright bathed in sweat and breathing hard. Even after all these years he was surprised how vivid and clear those memories were. It felt as though it had all happened just yesterday, the day his whole world fell apart. He didn't have to wonder why these ancient memories came calling, the reason was all too apparent. He and his employer would be boarding the SSRN Seaview in three days' time and _he_ would be there the man responsible for his fall from grace and the one who denied him the prizes and accomplishments that were so rightfully his.

He imagined the man still gloating about his win over his older opponent and would no doubt bring up that horrific moment in time lording it over him before his colleagues. What he had achieved in his life was no doubt due to that gift the science fair judges unfairly awarded him all those years ago. Had he been rightfully awarded his due, he no doubt would have obtained such position and notoriety as his nemesis having been able to attend the best university instead of the state school he had to attend because that was all _he_ could afford. With the loss of that prize, he also lost his father's support and promised assistance in attending any university he wanted. He should have been the man leading this research venture not that idiot Blanchard and all because he'd been robbed. He shoved a hand through his hair steadied his breathing and then lay back down to finish out what would no doubt be a restless night.

As he lay there staring at the ceiling he once again thanked the fates for giving him the opportunity to even the score. Assisting in the collection and examination of rare African plants and insects that would be studied and experimented with for potential use as drugs to cure cancer had yielded a benefit he never could have foreseen, the ability to get into close enough proximity to carry out his plan to take from his tormentor all that he valued dearly including his life. It was only fair to return the favor, he would have his revenge against the one who had destroyed his future relegating him to just a flunky helping out the project lead. He chuckled evilly and then drifted off into a fitful sleep.

(o)(o)(o)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Seaview had arrived on time at Douala, Cameroon to pick up Dr. Kevin Blanchard, his two research assistants and their samples and cargo from their yearlong research project in the rainforest investigating rare plant species and insects for use in cancer research. Admiral Nelson had volunteered their services as a favor to a friend who was head of the UCLA cancer research group since they were in the neighborhood anyway following a 'cargo' run for the US Navy.

The arrival of Seaview anywhere but in her home port of Santa Barbara was a huge spectacle and her docking in Douala was proving no different. Lee Crane, captain of the SSRN Seaview, was in the conning tower personally guiding his boat into her temporary berth. As he stood their issuing commands he was joined by his XO Chip Morton.

"Careful now Lee, wouldn't want to scratch the paint with an audience this size," Chip said to his friend then gave him an evil smirk. "No pressure. Don't want all those pretty women to think you're a klutz."

Lee barely spared him a glance and returned the smirk. "No worries Chip, that's something I generally leave to you," Lee replied to the good-natured harassment that they usually hurled at each other during docking maneuvers.

Having perfectly parked the enormous vessel, Lee gave the commands to secure her to the dock and begin port operations. "See, _that_ is how it's done Mr. Morton. Should you require additional schooling on how to leave the paint intact I could have Mr. O'Brien give you a refresher class."

Chip scowled at him then they both broke into laughter. "Very nice job Captain," Chip replied throwing him a jaunty salute which Lee returned. "So do you suppose our passengers and cargo are ready to go or will we be twiddling our thumbs for the next day or so?"

"After a year in the jungle?! I bet they run over the deck watch getting on board," Lee answered with a chuckle. Chip joined in nodding in agreement.

"Whew, it's hot out here," Chip remarked as he pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket.

"I hear that. Must be 100 degrees with 99 percent humidity; ah the tropics," Lee concurred. He too pulled out his handkerchief and mopped his brow. "I think it's a prudent time to go find the admiral and see about finding our guests."

"If it gets us out of this heat and sun, I'm all for that," Chip replied with a laugh and made his way to the hatch to climb down into the control room. After quickly chatting with the deck watch Lee followed right behind.

(o)(o)(o)

"Very nice job Lee," Harriman Nelson, owner of the massive boat, said as he watched Lee climb down the ladder and as usual eschewed the last three rungs and dropped to the floor.

"Thank you, sir," Lee replied. "I was just giving Mr. Morton here a few pointers on how it's done correctly."

Chip just rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Yeah, right," he said as he moved into the nose to grab a glass of iced tea and cool off for a moment.

Harri laughed out loud and clapped his surrogate son on the back as he too moved towards the nose. He once again patted himself on the back having managed to purloin two of the best sub jockeys in the Navy. Each an incredibly talented officer but together the most formidable command crew afloat, in his humble, unbiased opinion. Their relationship akin to brothers, showed itself in unrivalled support and loyalty to one another with enough sibling rivalry to keep them both razor sharp.

"Have you heard from our passengers yet, sir?" Lee asked as he also got a glass of tea and seated himself at the conference table in the nose.

"I had an email from them this morning and they are more than ready to come aboard. Their cargo has already been staged at the dock and they should be arriving within the hour to check in." Harri replied as he joined them at the table.

"Once they get here the deck crew is ready to load their gear. There's plenty of room in the hold so unless they brought the entire jungle we should be fine there," Chip answered.

"Good. Once we get that taken care of we can let the crew head out for a little liberty and then sail first thing in the morning," Lee said as he sipped on his tea. "You going to go ashore sir?"

"I had planned on it. Will and I are going to hit a couple of the museums in town and then have dinner. How about you two?"

"I'm going to pass," replied Lee. "I've been here a few times and have seen all I want to see. I'll just stay here and mind the store."

"When were you here?" Chip asked, not recalling Lee ever talking about it. Lee cocked his head to one side, raised an eyebrow and just stared at Chip giving him all the answer he was going to get. "Never mind I don't want to hear about it, you know how I feel about your moonlighting."

Lee scowled at him then grinned. "So are you heading in Chip?" Lee inquired.

"Yeah I think so. _I've_ never been here and Bobby asked if I wanted to join him and Sparks for a night on the town."

"Well, have fun but don't make me have to bail you out, I didn't bring any cash on this trip," Lee added with a chuckle. Chip smiled and shook his head.

As they continued to chat Ens Bratt hailed Lee over the intercom. "Captain, our passengers have arrived and are ready to come aboard sir."

"Thank you Steve, we'll be right there. Have security start screening their luggage and cargo."

"Aye sir," Bratt replied.

"Well gentlemen let's head on up and greet our guests," Harri said as he pushed up from his chair.

"Lead the way sir," Lee answered as he and Chip also rose and followed him towards the conning tower ladder.

(o)(o)(o)

The Seaview command crew exited the sail hatch and moved to the gangplank to welcome their guests aboard. As their passengers cleared security and walked across, Nelson stepped forward to greet them.

"Welcome aboard gentlemen, I'm Harriman Nelson."

"Good morning Admiral, I'm Kevin Blanchard and these are my assistants Greg Cummins and Fred Amherst," Blanchard replied as he extended his hand to Nelson.

"Nice to meet you. May I present Captain Lee Crane and our Executive Officer Chip Morton," Harri replied as he shook hands with each of their guests.

"Welcome aboard, gentlemen," Lee replied as he and Chip shook hands with their embarking passengers.

"Thank you. I can't tell you how excited and thrilled we are to be able to catch a ride back with you to California. With the amount of gear and samples we've collected I was really sweating getting it all back." Blanchard responded.

"Well I'm glad we were in the neighborhood and able to help you out. Our security will complete the inspection of your cargo and get it stowed safely down below. Once it's in place we'll give you a chance to take a look and make sure everything has made it," Harri said with smile. "In the meantime we have some briefings you need to listen to then we'll get you settled in your quarters and be ready to sail in the morning."

"Excellent Admiral. We're all ready to get back to the amenities of the modern world," Blanchard said with a laugh.

"Very well Doctor, if you and your team would follow Mr. Morton down into the nose of Seaview, he'll get you through the formalities and let you settle in." Lee said with a smile and a nod to Chip. Blanchard and his men followed Chip into the sail, leaving Nelson and Crane on deck.

Harri turned to Lee and smiled. "I need to go get changed so I can head out. You sure you wouldn't like to come along with us?"

"Quite sure, sir. Been there, done that and unfortunately have a number of the t-shirts," Lee replied laughing.

"Well if you need anything Lee don't hesitate to call," Nelson replied as he moved towards the sail.

"Oh I think I can handle it sir. Have a good evening. Remember we sail at 0600, with or without you," Lee responded with a wink. Harri graced him with a harrumph and disappeared into the sail hatch.

(o)(o)(o)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

After nearly two hours of briefings and a tour of the boat they were finally shown to their quarters. Amherst quickly unpacked his bags and stowed his gear in the closet. They were going to be onboard for nearly 2 weeks, he might as well get settled in now since they would be spending the night on the boat before they sailed the following morning.

Now alone in the cabin he sat back and just sighed, phase one of his plan was complete, he was aboard. After a moment he reached into his backpack and pulled out a small wooden box and removed the lid. He reached inside and withdrew the small figure then carefully set it on top of the desk. The security guard had been curious about it when he inspected his luggage but seemed satisfied when he said he had purchased it as a gift for one of his nephews.

The figure was about six inches high, a perfect effigy of a mandrill an Old World ape from the western region of equatorial Africa. It was covered in a soft olive green fur on its back and arms with white fur on its belly. It had a long blue-black mane around its head and a ring of bright yellow fur around its neck. There was a pronounced brow ridge above the large eyes which were closed giving the appearance that it was asleep. The hairless face with its elongated muzzle had a bright red stripe down the center and on either side of the stripe were protruding ridges colored a brilliant blue. The area around the nose and chin was covered in a short white fur allowing the red nose and lips to peek out.

The figure was in a seated position with its hind legs drawn close to the body, its long arms folded and resting on its knees with its long fingered paws crossed at the wrists. Around its neck was a solid gold manacle clamped shut secured with a small gold screw and attached to the collar was a slender gold linked chain. He had traded quite a bit for the odd little thing having bartered for several hours with the tribal shaman. It was unique in his experiences and made it well worth the whiskey, rations and watch he had exchanged for it.

As he sat there thinking about the events of the day he began to gently stroke the soft fur as he considered whether he should actually go through with his plans. Recalling the introductions to the command crew it became readily apparent to him that the man he hated and blamed for his loss of status and fall from his father's grace hadn't a clue who he was. The man had destroyed his life and then simply dismissed him from memory. The sting of that insult hurt almost as much as the theft of his prize.

The more he thought on it the more his anger grew, further inflaming his hatred. He stroked the figurine more ardently as he fantasized taking out his revenge. The more he focused on the terror and pain the man would endure and the imagined sense of satisfaction he would derive from being responsible for that pain he moved closer to a point of no return. A cruel and malevolent smile spread across his face as he visualized himself stepping forward as the man drew his final breaths and he revealed why such horrors had befallen him.

He was drawn from his reverie when he suddenly heard the sound of someone coming down the passageway followed by a quick knock on his door. "Just a minute," he called out as he moved quickly to replace the doll in its box, slid it back into his backpack and placed the bag in his closet. Once placed safely away he moved to the door and opened it to find Dr. Blanchard.

"We're going to head down to the storage bay to check out our cargo and make sure everything is on board, we could use your help," Blanchard said.

"Of course Doctor, I'd be more than happy to help out," Amherst answered.

(o)(o)(o)

Seaview departed Douala precisely at 0600 the next morning to begin her transit back to Santa Barbara. They would be taking the long way home going around the tip of South America instead of using the Panama Canal so Admiral Nelson could collect water and fish samples along the way, some of which he intended to add to Blanchard's inventory of substances to test against cancer cells. As laid out the trip home would be a leisurely sail that would give them all an opportunity to sit back and enjoy the ride.

It was nearly 0800 by the time Amherst made his way to the nose after a relaxed breakfast. As he came down the stairs he noticed the captain standing up at the windows staring out at the black water. "Good morning Captain," he said as he finished walking down the steps.

Lee turned and smiled. "Ah good morning Mr. Amherst," Lee replied. "Hope you're all settled in and were able to get a good night's sleep."

"Yes to both, thank you. I was so out of it I didn't even feel us leave port," he answered with a chuckle.

"Well then we did our job right," Lee responded with a smile. "I suppose you're anxious to get back home after a year in the jungle."

"You have no idea," Fred said with a laugh. "The heat, bugs and rain get to be a bit much after a very short time. I just hope that all our work results in some positive outcomes in our area of research."

"It would definitely make the sacrifice worthwhile," Lee agreed. They stood there quietly for a moment staring out the windows. "So are you from LA?"

"Not originally, I hail from back east on the other coast. I grew up in Rhode Island."

"Really, that's amazing so did I. What part?" Lee inquired.

"Providence area mostly. How about you?" Fred asked, knowing exactly where he had come from.

"The same. Small world isn't it." Lee commented.

"Indeed it is at times," Fred agreed. "So where did you go to school?"

"For the most part I attended Farragut Military Academy. How about you?"

"I went to LaSalle Academy," Amherst lied.

"Nice school, I think our schools competed against each other from time to time."

"I believe they did. I wasn't much for the athletics but did participate on the scholastic teams; I was into the Science Club and science fair. Who knows we may have actually met as kids. So where did you go to college Captain?" Amherst inquired. He truly wanted to know how he had used that scholarship he had stolen from him.

"I attended the Naval Academy in Annapolis," Lee answered.

Fred nearly choked as he realized the scholarship was never used. He fought hard to contain his anger at learning of that waste. "Wow, that's a tough school," he finally managed to grind out. "I attended the University of Rhode Island."

"URI is a good school as well. They have an excellent science and research program; no doubt a huge help in your career choice." Lee added.

"Oh yes, very much so," he replied not ever willing to admit the education he received was on par with the Ivy league schools he had truly wanted to attend. "So do you make it back to Providence much?"

"No, not really. There's no point to return, I have no family back there. Santa Barbara is home now and I don't miss the cold winters in the least. How about you?" Lee answered with a chuckle.

"I hear you on that one. No I haven't been back in years, not much point. Same as you no family to speak of," Amherst agreed. Of course he didn't add that he had all but been disowned by his father for his "lackluster" performance at Farragut. It really didn't matter that he had graduated near the top of his class, that one failure to capture the science fair top prize seemed to overshadow all he had done.

"Well I need to get back to my duties. It's been nice chatting with you, Mr. Amherst. We'll have to sit down and see if we have run across each other in the past, your face seems vaguely familiar," Lee said as he took his leave and returned to the control room to touch base with the crew and then to check on his boat.

"I look forward to it," Fred replied. " _More than you can ever imagine_ ," he said under his breath as Crane moved out of earshot.

(o)(o)(o)

Once Crane had moved off, Amherst headed back to his cabin. He couldn't believe the man went to a service academy having won the scholarship. What a waste! He further confirmed Crane had no recollection of him at all; that just rubbed salt into his festering wound. Each little dig was pushing him further and further down the path of carrying out his plans for revenge.

Too angry and upset to sit, he paced his cabin like a caged animal. He grabbed his backpack and once again removed the small wooden box and took out the small effigy. He began softly stroking it which helped to calm his nerves and relax him to the point he could finally sit down. He had reached the stage that he was ready to take action and now needed to plan how best to extract his revenge.

Amherst knew he needed to understand his unwitting adversary, learn his habits and his routine to successfully pull this off. If things played out as he hoped no one would ever be able to trace the captain's death back to him. Now decided to move forward he settled back in the chair and began playing through the possible ways to go after Crane.

(o)(o)(o)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It had been three days since they had left Cameroon and Seaview was nearing the first location where Admiral Nelson indicated he wanted to collect samples. "Admiral, this is Crane."

"Nelson here, what is it Lee?"

"Sir we're arriving at the first location you want to dive," Lee responded.

"Excellent, I'll be right there," Harri replied. He quickly rose from his desk and made his way down to the nose of the boat. Coming down the steps he moved directly to the windows and began surveying the ocean in front of them, now illuminated by Seaview's powerful spotlights.

Lee walked from the control room into the nose to join his boss and to get a feel for the area before they exited the boat. They were holding at 100 feet about 100 yards off the leading edge of a coral reef located on the southeast coast of South America. There was a multitude of fish and other marine organisms populating the area which held the admiral's rapt attention.

"This looks like a great place to dive," Lee commented as he watched the fish investigate the large boat now intruding into their world.

"That's why I wanted to get out here," Nelson replied. "There are a number of unique fish species here along with crustaceans and plant species that intrigue me. Some of these could also have value in Blanchard's cancer research project based on initial evaluations."

"So sir, care to get wet?" Lee asked with a smile. Nelson had been bouncing around the boat like kid hopped up on sugar since their departure from Cameroon, the only thing he talked about was getting a firsthand look at the fish and other sea life populating this section of reef.

Harri looked at Lee and shot him a huge smile. "I thought you'd never ask," he replied with a laugh. "Are you going to join me on this dive?"

"Of course sir, wouldn't miss it for the world," Lee replied smiling, knowing full well in this mode his boss and surrogate father warranted careful watching to make sure he didn't swim off in hot pursuit of some fish capturing his attention and in the process forgetting to monitor the sea around him.

Lee moved to the mic snatched if from its cradle and alerted the dive team to assemble in the missile room for the first dive. Shipping the mic he returned to the control room finding Chip reviewing logs and signing off paperwork for the watch. "Okay Chip, she's all yours. The admiral and I are heading down to the missile room to get ready for the dive."

"Gotcha covered, Lee," Chip replied with a smile in response to Lee's amused grin. Chip too was well aware of the admiral's interest and fascination with this area having already been cornered a couple of times during the voyage as he went on about the diverse sea life he expected to find. His verbal dissertation on the unique varieties of zooplankton and phytoplankton indigenous to the area nearly put him into a coma, he mused privately "Don't let him get away," he said with a wink.

Lee laughed out loud. "Oh I think I'll have my work cut out for me today. I haven't seen him this excited since the time we found that cache of rare coral off of Palau." Chip laughed as well recalling they nearly had to restrain the man to get him back on the boat before he ran out of air.

"Well definitely keep your eyes open, these are rich waters so there are no doubt sharks prowling around out there looking for an easy meal."

"Will do," Lee said as he clapped Chip in the shoulder. "You have the conn Mr. Morton. I'll see you in a couple of hours."

"I have the conn, aye Captain. See you when you get back," Chip replied.

(o)(o)(o)

Nelson and Crane made their way quickly to the missile room finding the rest of the dive party already dressed in their wetsuits and ready to pick up their tanks and go. They rapidly pulled off their clothes and donned their gear as well. Nelson provided a brief on what they were looking for and what needed to be done if they found it. As he finished up his briefing he found the entire dive team trying desperately to control their looks of amusement at his level of excitement.

"Well you get the idea," Harri ended trying to project a serious and calm façade. "Any questions?" he said scowling a bit as he scanned their bemused faces. When he reached Lee's face he finally relented and gave them all a huge smile as Lee wasn't even trying to hide his amusement at Harri's nearly giddy excitement at getting out on the reef.

"All right everyone, buddy up and keep each other in sight. As Mr. Morton already pointed out to me there are a number of large predators swimming in these waters so don't give them a free snack," Lee added. He then grabbed his mask and fins nodded to Harri and followed him to the dive chamber.

(o)(o)(o)

Having been notified that the divers had left the boat, Chip moved forward to the nose to watch them swim out over the reef. As they passed by Lee gave Chip the 'okay' sign indicating everything was proceeding as planned. After a moment Chip became aware of Amherst standing next to him also staring out the window.

"That looks like a lot of fun," Fred said as he watched the divers move off.

"Oh it is. I take it you've never been scuba diving?" Chip replied

"No, I've never really wanted to do that. I've been snorkeling a couple of times but it left me feeling somewhat exposed and uncomfortable. I figured it probably wouldn't be a good idea to pursue the sport if I wasn't at ease on the surface."

"Probably a wise decision," Chip replied.

"So how long will they be out there?" Amherst asked.

"Since they're in shallow waters, the water is warm and they're not working strenuously I figure they'll be out about two hours. Knowing how excited the admiral is to dive this area, he'll most likely push it to the last breath of air in his tank," Chip answered with a chuckle.

"Really? That long?"

"Yes, bottom time isn't a big concern so they'll be taking as much time as they can."

"So does the captain go out on all of these dives?" Amherst inquired.

"No, not all of them. He usually goes out on the first dive to get a feel for the area and the conditions. We set up dive teams so that everyone who needs to dive or wants to has an opportunity. I swear he's part fish, if it were possible he'd be out every time; it's one of his favorite activities," Chip replied as he turned to regard the man next to him.

"What about the admiral?" Amherst continued, unaware of Chip's scrutiny.

"He usually leaves the routine work dives to the crew, but this one involves research and specimen collection so short of confining him to the brig in irons there's no way he'd miss being out there. Why all the interest?" Chip inquired.

Amherst finally pulled his gaze away from the windows to look at Morton. "Oh it just seems a rather dangerous pursuit for both the admiral and captain to be engaged in, that's all. You know with sharks and other things out there."

"That's why they go out in teams so that there is more awareness of the area and ready assistance should someone run into problems. Everyone out there is a master diver with thousands of dive hours logged."

Amherst smiled and shrugged. "As I said I always felt somewhat exposed in that environment and just wondered. I appreciate the explanation and the education. Well I best get out of your hair, I think I'll head to the wardroom and see if Cookie has finished that batch of chocolate chip cookies he was whipping up."

"Sure no problem," Chip answered feeling somehow there was more to Amherst's inquiries than just worry. "Cookies you say?"

Amherst laughed having heard the cook and his assistant chat about the captain's and XO's love for the things. "Yeah, he was just starting them when I finished with breakfast. Thanks again for the information." He turned made his way to the staircase and headed up as Chip watched him go.

Chip continued to stare at the empty staircase; something about this guy just wasn't right. That little voice in the back of his mind was muttering at the moment and that was never a good sign. He made a mental note to keep a closer eye on him just in case.

(o)(o)(o)

Amherst made his way up the stairs and entered 'officer's country'. He began taking a leisurely stroll down the passageway noting where Crane's cabin was located and trying to get an idea of who might be working in the area on a routine basis. He moved cautiously to the captain's door and surreptitiously tried the doorknob. He was delighted to find it unlocked and making sure no one was around he quickly opened the door and stepped in.

The cabin was neat as a pin and quite a bit larger than the guest quarters he and Cummins were sharing. Harkening back to his days at Farragut, RHIP (rank has its privileges) definitely shot to mind. He moved cautiously around the room careful not to disturb anything as he cataloged what was there. As he looked into the small head he noted a hamper for dirty towels and clothing. He lifted the lid and found it empty at the moment. This would be exactly what he needed when the time came.

Finished with his tour he returned to the door and carefully cracked it open looking to see if anyone was in the passageway. Finding it deserted he fully opened the door and stepped out into the hall gently pulling the door shut behind him. He turned and made his way down the passageway heading to the wardroom for a cookie or two and then onto his cabin to firm up his plans.

(o)(o)(o)

The dive progressed as planned and Admiral Nelson couldn't have been happier if he tried. He had been able to collect a number of samples he was hoping to grab. Lee was pretty well laden down with a full sample bag as they made their way back to Seaview. He'd kept close tabs on Nelson during the dive and only had to herd him back a couple of times.

As they exited the dive chamber crewmen were there to collect the sample bags from everyone for transport to the lab and to help the divers divest themselves of their gear. The admiral's excitement over the dive was immediately apparent and the crew struggled hard to bite back their amused smiles at his exuberance.

"That was incredible!" Harri exclaimed as he sat down on the bench to begin removing his wetsuit. "It was even better than I imagined. What did you think Lee?"

"I have to agree with you sir, the reef was incredibly alive and definitely home to fish I've never seen before," Lee replied with a smile. "How many more dives do you think you want to make here before we move on sir?"

"I would think another couple of dives would be sufficient," Harri answered. "We can probably allow a couple of pleasure dives if anyone is interested. What do you think Lee?"

"Sounds workable to me," Lee answered. He had to agree the area was beautiful and would be a great place to allow his crew to get some dive time and just relax.

As Nelson finished divesting himself of his dive gear, he spotted Blanchard, Cummins and Amherst enter the missile room. "Kevin, I think we collected a few more samples to add to your pack."

"Excellent Admiral, I'm sure the marine-based research team will be thrilled with anything you can give them. I take it your dive went well then?" Blanchard replied.

"Extremely well," Nelson enthused. "If you or any of your team are certified and interested, I think we could let you accompany one of the dive teams on the next dives."

"That sounds like a great opportunity. I'm certified and would love to go. How about you Greg?" Blanchard replied.

"Oh I'd love to get out there and paddle around. I'm a master diver as well." Cummins answered.

"How about you Mr. Amherst?" asked Lee as he moved over to the group as he toweled off.

"Not me," Amherst replied with a chuckle. "I'm barely comfortable on top of the water, underneath it I think I'd be a basket case. I will enjoy the experience from the nose."

"Understood," Lee responded with a smile. "Well Admiral I'm heading to my cabin to get cleaned up."

"I'm right behind you Lee. I'll meet you in the wardroom for lunch in an hour." Nelson replied.

Lee mentally laughed knowing with new samples and many of them exotic and never seen before there was no way Harri would be even aware of time once he finished getting cleaned up and made his first visit to the lab. He'd stop by the wardroom and have Cookie make up a tray he could take it down to the lab so they could both eat lunch while Nelson played with his samples.

(o)(o)(o)

All the while the dive team finished up from their dive Amherst paid careful attention to all that was going on. He quickly noted the number of people there to help the team out of their gear, collect any samples and generally police up the area after the dive. He cataloged that information knowing it meant there were fewer crewman prowling other parts of the boat when dive operations were occurring.

He was rapidly building his view of boat operations identifying when the best opportunities were to move around without being spotted. He had surreptitiously been watching Crane, getting a feel for his daily routine looking for chances to set things in motion with the least potential of being caught.

When he was in the nose with Commander Morton he also noted the additional man stationed up front to keep an eye on dive operations from the boat. He had loitered around the passageway in officer's country to determine when the cabins were serviced and laundry was removed and returned. His picture was complete and he would soon be ready to act.

After listening to the events in the missile room with the return of the divers, the next dive would be his chance to complete the next step in his plan. The XO was already scheduled to lead the next dive meaning Crane would be required in the control room along with extra men to observe the divers from the nose. The admiral would no doubt be sequestered in his lab playing with the samples gathered on the first dive and making preparations for arrival of specimens from the second. Since recreational diving was being made available to crew not on duty that would drop the number of personnel potentially roaming around the corridors lower and allowing Blanchard and Cummins to participate as well would remove the chance of running into them. This would work out perfectly.

(o)(o)(o)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Lee headed to his cabin and stripped out of his sweats and swimming suit and made his way to the shower. He stepped in turned on the faucet and wet down then grabbed his shampoo and quickly lathered up and rinsed his hair. He next grabbed the soap and lathered up and just as he was ready to rinse the water flowing out of the showerhead dropped to a trickle. He turned the faucet on and off a couple of times but the flow just wouldn't increase. He grumbled aloud and then made do with the limited stream to remove the majority of the soap suds.

Stepping out of the shower he grabbed his towel dried off then went into the main cabin to get dressed. Once finished he tossed his towel in the hamper and headed out the door to check in with Chip in the control room then pick up his lunch tray and meet up with the admiral. He quickly made his way down the passageway to the stairs and descended into the nose.

"Hi Skipper," Chip said as he saw Lee coming down the stairs. "Have a nice dive?"

"Oh yeah, very nice. Warm water, great viz, lots of fish. The only thing missing was a friendly mermaid or two," Lee replied with a wink and a laugh.

"Uh huh. You just stay away from those merfolk," Chip replied with a smile. "So how was the admiral? You have to chase him down much?"

"Only a couple of times," Lee responded returning Chip's smile. "By the time we got back to the boat I felt like a pack animal I was carrying so many samples. He wants to make a couple of more dives in this location and also open it up to anyone that would like to make a dive that isn't currently assigned to a dive team."

"I'm sure the crew will appreciate that. From what I can see from here, it looks like a great dive location," Chip answered. "Chief, would you come here a moment?"

"Sure thing Mr. Morton. What can I do for you sir?" Sharkey said as he moved to the chart table.

"The admiral is going to open up diving to anyone that would like to go out if they aren't already on a dive team. Poll the crew, see who's interested and set up a dive schedule."

"That sounds great sir," Sharkey responded with a smile. "I know I'll be taking the admiral up on that one. I'll get right on it."

"Oh Chief," Lee said as Sharkey turned to leave.

"Yes Skipper?"

"I'm having problems with the shower in my cabin, I wasn't getting much water flow towards the end of my shower. Have someone check it out please."

"I'll have Watkins take a look, sir. He's our resident plumber on this cruise."

"Thanks Chief," Crane replied. "Well I'm heading down to the wardroom to pick up some lunch and then corner the admiral in his lab and make him eat for a change," he said with a chuckle.

Chip and Sharkey laughed as well knowing once the admiral got his hands on any new samples it was highly unlikely for him to emerge from the lab until he'd handled each one at least twice. It wasn't unusual for him to spend an entire day in his lab and never emerge until someone, generally Lee, chased him out.

(o)(o)(o)

Crewman Watkins got the word from Sharkey about the troubles the skipper was having with his shower, grabbed his tools and headed to the skipper's cabin. He knocked and finding no one there entered and moved directly to the head to check things out. He turned on the shower and found a weak stream of water dribbling out of the shower head. Turning the faucet off he reached into his tool box pulled out a wrench and proceeded to remove the shower head.

Once off he examined it looking for clogged holes but found none. Next he turned the faucet back on and got the dribble of water once again. He then pulled out his snaking wire and began running it up into the pipe hoping that there was some mineral deposit or other foreign matter somewhere in the piping that was blocking the flow. He reeled his snake back in and turned the faucet on and got nothing that time.

Tony cursed quietly under his breath, whatever he'd done had completely blocked the flow. He started feeding the snake back into the piping once more and nearly doubled the distance he played it out feeling for any bumps or blockage. He retrieved the wire slowly making sure he got the most contact inside the pipe hopefully reaming out the inside and freeing things up. With the wireline back on the reel he turned on the faucet again and was greeted with nothing coming out once more.

He grabbed his flashlight and shined the beam up the pipe hoping to possibly see what was blocking the flow. It was as that moment the weight of the water against the block broke through and he got an immediate flow that left him flailing around trying to shut the faucet off. Quickly turning off the tap he cursed and then laughed at himself for being an idiot then turned around and grabbed a clean towel off the rack and dried off. He stepped out of the shower and turned the water back on to ensure he had good flow; it was flowing like a river now. He turned the water back off, reinstalled the shower head then packed up his tools. He dumped the wet towel into the clothes hamper near the door then left to change clothes and let Sharkey know the job was done.

(o)(o)(o)

The next dive was scheduled for 1400 and Morton had made the call for divers to report to the missile room to gear up and be ready to dive. Amherst followed his team down to the missile room to help them gear up. He also identified how many people were heading out on the dive. There were twenty people diving this round so there would be even fewer men he could potentially run into as he gathered what he needed.

Once the divers were all cycled out into the water, he followed Crane back to the control room and the front windows to watch them move off to swim over the reef. He stayed there for about 20 minutes then excused himself saying he needed to use the head. He walked to the staircase and headed up into officer's country to make his grab for the item he needed to help set his revenge into motion.

He moved quietly down the passageway continuously peering over his shoulder looking for anyone lurking around the area. Finding none, he made a beeline for Crane's quarters and quickly slipped inside. Through his observations he had discovered that laundry was picked up early in the morning so given Crane had taken a shower following his dive, the towels he used to dry off should still be in the hamper. The towel was the perfect article to use. It was exceedingly personal containing Crane's scent, hair and flakes of skin after he used it to dry off, yet quite ordinary in that it looked like every other towel on board and could not readily be identified as having been used by anyone specific. No one would be overly curious of him if he were met returning to his cabin carrying just a towel.

Amherst moved across the cabin into the head lifted the lid of the hamper and smiled finding a number of used towels inside. He grabbed the one on top closed the hamper then made his way back to the door and peered out once again looking for anyone lurking in the halls. Finding none he eased his way out of the door shutting it quietly behind him and hurried down the corridor to his cabin. Safely inside his cabin he walked to his closet and pulled out a plastic bag shoved the towel inside and sealed it. Step two complete!

He shoved the bag in his backpack and zipped the compartment shut. Once more he pulled out the small wooden box and removed the figurine inside. He sat down at the desk and began to stroke its soft fur as he started working through the next few steps he needed to take to set things irrevocably in motion.

(o)(o)(o)


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

With the dives completed on the reef Seaview returned to the deep water and her trek back to her home port. They had been traveling two days now, completed their turn around the tip of South America and were now heading north. The course plotted by the captain had them several hundred miles off the coast so immediate access to land and escape was not possible.

Amherst had done his bit with his team helping Nelson identify and catalog the samples collected on the earlier dives. He maintained a congenial outward appearance acting as though he harbored no animosity towards anyone aboard the boat. He had continued to watch Crane on the sly further completing his profile of the man's personal routine and regularly engaged him in conversation when the opportunity presented itself. The latter only served to fuel his hatred for him as he unwittingly revealed how his unjustified award of the top prize all those years ago had been the linchpin for all his success in life. It had all come so easily for him as far as he could tell. There had been no hard work or sacrifice; it had all just been handed to him on a silver platter.

What galled him the most was the almost father/son relationship he observed between Nelson and Crane. Their easy give and take in conversations and actions revealed a genuine affection for one and other; something he'd never really experienced with his own father. The relationship they did have virtually evaporated that fateful day so many years ago leaving him alone and adrift. Feeling secure that he now had an excellent idea where Crane would be at given times it was time to set things in motion.

In the course of his observations of boat operations Fred had located a quiet out of the way storeroom where he could carry out what he needed to do with minimal fear of being discovered. He had collected what he needed and stashed it in the room so he would not run the risk of encountering anyone with his questionable items. The D watch or dog watch would give him the best chance of sneaking into the room without being seen and also finding Crane asleep in his cabin.

He laid quietly in bed going over things in his mind. Tonight he would put it all in motion and his thirst for retribution would finally be slaked. He thought back to his time in the jungle; the hours he spent with the shaman learning all about their ways, their religion, and their means of taking vengeance against their foes. He flashed back to the night that Dharbaka showed him the figurine.

(o)(o)(o)

They had been with the Baka tribe for nearly 5 months when one evening after everyone had gone to bed only he and Dharbaka remained. They sat quietly by the fire talking and drinking Amherst's whiskey late into the night. Dharbaka waxed poetic about their beliefs and the many animals and beings they worshipped. Amherst had found himself intrigued by the Baka's belief in animism, that non-human entities are spiritual beings embodying a life principle and urged his friend to keep talking.

When he came to the subject of vengeance Amherst's interest was piqued above all other subjects. He pushed the old man to go on about their means of retribution and he told him of capturing a spirit and sealing it in the form of a doll then releasing it to carry out its task. Fred asked if he knew of one and what it looked like.

The old man eyed him closely, even as inebriated as he was he knew there was a hunger for vengeance that lived in this man's soul. This just might prove to be his means to finally be rid of the thing. Not wanting to appear too eager, he hedged in relating the specifics but Amherst was relentless in his push for information. Finally giving in to his constant inquiry the old man rose from the fire and made his way drunkenly back to his hut. He returned a few minutes later holding a small wooden box. He sat unsteadily back down at the fire and grabbed Amherst's bottle taking a huge swig as he steadied his nerves.

Dharbaka carefully opened the box and removed the small figure of a mandrill. It was a perfect facsimile in every detail. He set it gently down on the log they were sitting on and watched the look on Amherst's face.

"Is this like a voodoo doll?" Amherst asked quietly. "Do you tie the doll somehow to the person you want retribution on and then stick pins in it?"

"No, this is like nothing you've ever heard of in your world, I'm certain," the old man slurred. "This was created many, many years ago by a shaman overcome by grief at the loss of his family when they were slaughtered by a neighboring tribe. His grief soured into a bottomless hate and a desire to exact a horrible revenge so he set out and trapped a malevolent mingehe or forest spirit. Once he had the spirit trapped he forced it to assume the form you see before you and to ensure it would not escape him he placed a powerful spell upon it so it would have to do his bidding."

"One night he loosed the creature on those who had killed his wife and sons. But not just those who had actually killed his family but all the members of the families of the raiding party. It killed their fathers, mothers, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins that were members of that tribe. There was no mercy and no regard for age or infirmity. The neighboring tribe was virtually wiped from the face of the earth before it ran out of family members to kill. There was no weapon they had to stop it."

Amherst stared at him in amazement not believing what he said in the least. He was certain the drink and superstition was overstating the power of this doll. "What do you mean? How can this _doll_ be a danger to anyone?"

"I told you it was unlike anything you have heard about. These are very, very rare and very, very dangerous. You dispatch this demon to go after your foe; it carries out your vengeance against the ones who have done you wrong. Once set on a path, there is no way to deter it from its mission should reason and forgiveness take root and the sender change his mind."

"Go on," urged Amherst his eyes taking on a somewhat calculating and hungry look. He poured the old man another drink to urge him further in his tale.

"There is a ceremony where certain incantations are read, tribute is made and the doll is animated then released to take vengeance against the selected victim," Dharbaka further explained.

Amherst furrowed his brow still not getting the premise. He reached forward and picked up the small figurine. He examined it carefully looking it over thoroughly noting the gold collar and chain around the doll's neck. He picked up the end of the chain. "What kind of ceremony and what type of tribute? What's the chain and collar for?" he asked as he continued to scrutinize the odd thing in his hands.

"The ceremony involves recitation of the magic words and the tribute is made up of blood from the one dispatching the mingehe and something of the one being hunted like hair, fingernails or blood. The chain and collar are to control the doll once it has been animated and to protect the sender from it turning against him. As long has that person controls the collar it controls the animal and it will not harm him," Dharbaka answered.

"Are they always monkeys?" Amherst inquired. "Does it always have to kill?"

"No they can be molded into the shape of any animal when created. The form chosen is usually to inspire fear," the shaman replied evenly. "Why else would you release something this evil if not to kill one's enemy?"

"Hmm, very interesting story," he replied. Fred sat there quietly mulling over all he had heard. "Would you want to sell it to me?" he asked.

"No it is far too dangerous, especially to one who is not of the tribe and does not know the rituals, spells and religion of our people," the old man replied.

"I don't want to use it, it's just an interesting trinket and I will most likely donate it to a museum or the anthropology department at my university for their collection. It's just so unique."

The shaman regarded Amherst silently. There was something about him, his demeanor belied his claims of just wanting a souvenir of his visit. He had finally found the person willing to take it off his hands and warred momentarily with his conscience over passing it on. No one within the tribe was willing to take possession of the thing; they all knew it represented a real temptation and a danger to the possessor that no one wanted. He was anxious to be rid of it but was not about to let that be known lest he scare the man away. He would exact a hefty price making it seem all the more desirable, and so began the negotiations for the mingehe.

Several hours later the transaction was complete and the mingehe changed hands along with the incantations, magic powder, offering bowl and all instructions to animate the creature in the box. Amherst was exceedingly pleased with himself and once in possession of the oddity he was totally focused upon it tuning out the old man's warning that use of it would exact a price of the owner as well as his intended victim.

As Amherst's mind returned to the present he raised his arm and noted the time on his watch. It was nearly 0100 and Crane should be done with his nightly promenade through the boat and ensconced in his cabin for the night. He sat up and silently donned his clothing so as not to awaken his snoring cabin mate. Now dressed he slid his feet into his shoes walked to the door opening it just enough to allow him out and keeping the intrusion of light from the passageway to a minimum lest he wake the other man.

Once outside his cabin he made his way quickly and quietly down to the storage room and entered securing the door behind him. He pulled his supplies out of their hiding place then sat down in the middle of the room and prepared to carry out the ceremony that would release the mingehe from its slumber and send it on its way to carry out its orders against Crane.

(o)(o)(o)

Amherst pulled out a small stone bowl, a razor blade, the towel he had collected earlier, the powder and incantation the shaman had provided him and a pack of matches. First he removed the towel from the bag and looked it over carefully finding some hair stuck in the fibers. He plucked them out and dropped them into the bowl. Next he opened the pouch holding the powder and took a pinch and sprinkled that over the hair. That done he picked up the razor blade and made a small cut on his index finger and squeezed out five drops of his blood over the hair and powder.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Band-Aid and applied to his finger. He picked up the small wooden box took off the lid then removed the figurine and placed carefully next to the bowl. He removed the collar from around the mingehe's neck then recited the incantation aloud and as he finished the last line, he lit one of the matches and dropped it into the bowl. The contents of the bowl ignited in a bright flash generating a plume of white smoke. As directed by the shaman he fanned the smoke over the small doll enveloping it in the magic.

He sat motionlessly for what seemed forever to the point where he started to feel like a fool for believing in what the old man had told him. As he began to gather up his items and slink back to his cabin, the figure's eyelids snapped open revealing two bright gold eyes with pinpoint pupils staring ahead. He nearly jumped out of his skin he was so startled by the penetrating gaze and the slight shift in its position.

He grabbed the used towel and held it before its nose giving it the scent of its prey to help it carry out its instructions. Next he opened the small vent shaft at the bottom of the room then picked up the figure and deposited it gently into the shaft. "Go, destroy," he whispered quietly into its ear then silently shut the grate.

All remained quiet for a few moments then he heard a slight rustle followed by the scratch of tiny claws against the metal shaft. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard, there was no turning back now. Knowing that the die was cast he pushed to his feet, returned his supplies to their hiding place then made his way silently back to his cabin and back to bed to await the alarms that would no doubt sound shortly.

(o)(o)(o)


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The mandrill made its way down the shaft trying to locate the scent given to it. As it moved it began to grow in size as it was released from the spell that held it in place. It moved slowly and sniffed as it encountered each junction and each new grate. Its quarry's smell was everywhere but what it was currently scenting was residual, nothing fresh.

It continued to move through the shafts in the boat when suddenly it froze, its nose twitched and it turned its head towards the junction ahead. It approached the cover over the vent shaft stealthily so as not to alert its prey. It peered cautiously up and down the corridor below as best it could and then it heard the sounds of footsteps moving down the hallway. It watched silently as a man passed by the vent and continued on past. This was him, this was its prey.

The mingehe pushed on the grate in front of it until it swung open. It leapt to the floor below and began to stalk its unwitting prey. The man in front of it was staring intently at something in his hands and not paying much attention to anything around him. He reached a junction in the corridor and as he stopped to look at something he heard a soft shuffling sound behind him.

He looked over his shoulder and froze startled by the full grown male mandrill moving slowly down the corridor towards him. "What the hell? Where did you come from?" he said aloud though not really expecting an answer. The animal stopped and regarded him inhaling the air deeply and snarled slightly.

He cautiously eased his way over to the handset on the wall picked it up and clicked the button on the mic. "Control room this is Watkins."

"Control room, O'Brien here," came the response.

"Lieutenant I'm down here near the circuitry room and there's a…"

Watkins couldn't continue as the mandrill rushed him, like greased lightning, its mouth open baring its formidable three inch fangs. It was on him in an instant biting, scratching, tearing away at its hapless victim. The only thing the men in the control room heard were the blood curdling screams from Watkins and guttural, feral roars from whatever had found him.

O'Brien acted instantly sounding the alarm alerting the entire boat to something amiss. He immediately dispatched security to the area near the circuitry room to aid Watkins and get whatever was attacking him.

"Control this is Crane, report." The page occurred almost instantly following the sounding of the alarm.

"Control room here Skipper," O'Brien replied. "Sir, Crewman Watkins reported finding something in the corridor near the circuitry room and the next thing we heard were screams and growling. I've dispatched security down there to find out what's going on."

"Very well I'm on my way there," Crane replied and signed off.

(o)(o)(o)

It froze at the sound of the klaxons, their screeching noise tearing into its ears. It backed off its prey and looked quickly around for some place to hide from the hideous noise. It scampered down the corridor and tried the first door it found that being the circuitry room. It somehow managed to get the door open and ducked inside. It looked frantically around the room trying to find some place to hide. It spotted a small vent shaft at the top of the room and moved to the circuitry panel in front of it and began to climb.

As it grabbed the first bunch of cables trying to launch itself towards the vent, the cable pulled loose spewing sparks and smoke and imparting a powerful shock. The sudden shock stunned the mingehe knocking it to the floor sending it into an uncontrolled rage. It attacked each of the circuitry cabinets tearing out the wires and sparking fires. Seaview reacted immediately as control systems were compromised and began to pitch and roll in response as she plunged helplessly out of control towards the bottom.

The rapid pitch and roll of the vessel pulled the creature back from its mindless rage and it once again scampered up the front of the first circuitry bank and tugged at the vent cover, wrenching it open. It clambered inside then began following its nose back to its master all the while shrinking in size as it moved along.

(o)(o)(o)

Lee quickly pulled on his clothes, shoved his feet into his shoes and barreled out of his cabin towards the circuitry room closely followed by Chip as he also bolted from his cabin.

"What's up?" Chip inquired as he hurried after Lee.

"O'Brien said Watkins found something in the passageway near the circuitry room and it attacked him. He said he's dispatched security there already," Lee replied over his shoulder as he nearly ran down the passageway.

As they reached the next hatch all hell broke loose as Seaview lost all trim and began to pitch about wildly as control systems were knocked off line. Unprepared for the sudden shift they were thrown into the bulkhead and then slammed to the deck. They laid there stunned and bleeding as they helplessly rode Seaview to the ocean floor. As the boat hit bottom and slid to a stop the lights winked out along with the majority of the other systems. The red emergency lighting snapped on almost immediately.

Fighting hard to regain his senses Lee groaned, slowly rolled over and forced himself up to his knees. The world around him spun frantically for a moment causing him to cram his eyes shut and breathe deeply to help reestablish his center. As he gained control he looked to his right and saw Chip lying motionless on the deck.

"Chip? Chip are you okay?" He was greeted with silence. He cautiously crawled over to his XO and peered down at him. He placed his hand gently on his shoulder and shook him.

Chip groaned loudly and brought his hand up to his head. "Oh god, what happened?"

"Got no idea," Lee replied. "Are you injured beyond the cut on your forehead?"

Chip quickly took stock of his body and slowly shook his head in the negative. He regretted that movement immediately as it felt like he was riding tilt-a-whirl. "Other than one hell of a headache I think I'm okay. How about you?" he answered as he slowly pushed his way up to a seated position.

"Same headache," Lee replied. "Can you operate?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Okay then make your way down to the control room and see what's going on. I'm on my way to the circuitry room to get a status on things there." Lee pushed himself up to his feet and quickly cradled his left side and inhaled sharply.

"Lee! You sure you're okay? Do we need to call Jamie?" Chip asked immediately concerned at Lee's reaction.

"Yeah I'm fine, I must have made contact with the side of the hatch and bruised my ribs," he answered as he gingerly prodded his side. "Nothing broken, just painful."

"You're sure?"

"Yes mother. Now if you're up to it get to the control room and let's get control of this boat," he replied as he extended his hand to his friend and helped him to his feet.

"Aye Skipper," Chip replied as he collected his balance and then headed off towards the control room.

Lee turned and began making his way to the circuitry room as quickly as he could. As he encountered downed men in the passageway he checked them over to make sure no one was critically injured. Those relatively uninjured were dispatched to their stations to help begin recovery operations and those that were having more problems he told to sit tight until a corpsman could get to them.

He climbed gingerly down the ladder to the deck where the circuitry room was located and continued on. He came across Kowalski slowly pulling himself up to his feet. "Ski, you okay?" he asked as he gave the rating a hand.

"Yes sir, just stunned I think. What happened Skipper?" Ski asked.

"I haven't a clue but bet it's associated with whatever Watkins reported. Come with me to the circuitry room."

"Aye Skipper."

They continued down the passageway and as they rounded the corner to the circuitry room Crane suddenly slipped in something wet. Ski made a quick grab for his arm and kept him from going down eliciting a gasp as Crane strained his bruised ribs.

"What the hell?" Lee said as he regarded the wet smudge on the deck. In the red emergency lighting it was impossible to tell what the substance was. He looked down the corridor and saw someone lying face down on the deck in front of them. He moved quickly over to the downed man and as he turned him over he didn't need lights to tell him what he had slipped in.

"Watkins," Ski whispered as he took in the badly mauled body of the crewman.

Lee kneeled next to the downed man and placed his hand on the side of his neck and felt for a pulse even though he already knew it was pointless. The man's throat had been nearly ripped out, and there were deep rips and scratches on his face, chest and arms. "Damn," Lee said quietly.

Lee struggled back to his feet. "Come on Ski," he whispered as he made his way to the circuitry room door. He slowly turned the knob then eased the door open. The smell of melting plastic and smoke flowed into the corridor making the men cough as it invaded their lungs. After a moment he pushed the door open fully and entered. Much to his relief any fires had been extinguished. He and Ski cautiously made their way around the room noting the extensive damage to nearly every cabinet and panel.

"What a mess," Ski said as they completed their tour of the room. "No wonder we're sittin' on the bottom dead in the water."

"Can't argue with you there. See if you can find a couple of flashlights Ski and let's see if maybe we can get the lights back on."

"Aye Skipper." A few seconds later a narrow beam from a flashlight cut through the smoky air in the room. Ski walked back over to Crane and handed him a flashlight. With lights in hand they more closely examined the extent of the damage.

"What the hell did this, sir?" Ski asked.

"I have no idea but by the looks of poor Watkins it was powerful," Lee replied as he played his light over the lighting console. "Ski go grab a tool kit and let's get to work."

Ski nodded and headed over to the supply cabinet and grabbed a tool kit and a couple of spools of wire. He returned to the skipper and they each pulled out pliers, wire cutters, and screwdrivers and began making repairs. Within 15 minutes the lights winked on resulting in a relieved sigh from everyone on board.

"Ski continue working here, I'll send down help once I get to the control room," Lee said as he dropped his tools into the kit.

"Aye Skipper," Ski replied. "I'll jump on the air revitalization circuits next." Lee nodded and then exited the circuitry room.

(o)(o)(o)

On his way to the conn Lee encountered the security team sent down to aid Watkins. They were out cold having met up with the bulkheads when Seaview threw her fit. He knelt down next to the Master at Arms and placed his hand gently on his neck feeling for a pulse. He was gratified to find a strong beat. His contact with the downed man seemed to stir him awake and Henderson groaned and slowly forced his eyes open.

Henderson looked up at the captain in some confusion wondering why the captain was kneeling over him. "Skipper? What…what happened?" he asked as he winced in pain when he moved his head.

"You okay Jim?" Lee answered.

"Yeah I think so," he replied as he began moving various parts of his body then struggled to sit up. Lee quickly assisted him up to a seated position and kept him in place until he was sure he was stable.

"Something attacked Watkins and killed him then tore the hell out of the circuitry room. If you're okay check out the rest of your team, get help for those who need it then get down to the circuitry room corridor secure the scene and get security outfitted with side arms and patrolling the corridors until we get that thing. You'll need to get Watkins' body bagged up and down to Jamieson so he can perform a cursory autopsy and hopefully identify what killed him."

"Aye sir," Henderson said as he cleared his throat and gently moved his neck and head trying to clear the cobwebs out. Sure that his MMA was going to be okay Lee continued on his way to the control room.

(o)(o)(o)

Entering the control room Lee spotted Chip speaking with the admiral up by the chart table. He began moving forward towards them, taking his time to touch base with his crew and make sure they were all right. He was immediately spied by the XO and he broke off his report waiting for the skipper to join them.

"What did you find in the circuitry room Lee?" Harri asked and Lee drew near.

"Well sir, whatever Watkins found killed him. He was quite literally torn to pieces, it's a gruesome sight. It then went into the circuitry room and severely damaged almost every panel in there. As you can see Kowalski and I got the lights on and he's working on the air revitalization unit right now. Once he gets that going we can begin prioritizing repairs to the other systems," Lee explained. "I found Henderson on my way up here and got him back on his feet. He's securing the scene and will take Watkins' body to sick bay so Jamie can hopefully give us some indication as to what attacked him. He'll also get armed security patrols established and roving the boat until we capture whatever caused all this. How do things stand here?"

"Initial surveys indicate that we are tight and dry. We're sitting on the bottom at 2300 feet. There are numerous reports of injuries ranging from bumps and bruises to severe concussions and broken bones thanks to our unplanned trip to the bottom. The reactor scrammed due to the problems in the circuitry room so it's currently off line but undamaged and Lt. Marks has begun restart procedures so hopefully we'll be able to restore full power in 8 hours. Navigation, communications, steering systems are all down and repairs are currently underway but that is going to be controlled by how quickly repairs are made in the circuitry room," Chip reported.

Lee nodded as he listened to his XO's litany of the boat's woes. "Thanks Chip. Chief, Kowalski needs assistance in the circuitry room, get Patterson, Wilkes and Rodriguez down there to help him out if they're undamaged."

"Will do Skipper," Sharkey replied and headed out the aft hatch to track down the men.

"So any idea what Watkins found?" Nelson inquired.

"Not at this point. I really didn't have much opportunity to look around for it as we needed to start getting systems back on line. There was no indication where it went after it got done trashing the circuitry room so it could be anywhere on the boat. The big question is how did it get on board?" Lee replied.

"Could it have been brought aboard with Blanchard's cargo?" Chip asked.

"Possibly, it seems the most logical source. Chip check with whoever conducted the security check of their equipment and cargo to see if he spotted anything out of the ordinary," Lee answered as he rubbed distractedly at his temple trying to beat back the headache that threatened to explode his head.

"Will do Lee," Chip replied and moved off to check the duty roster to determine who was on duty the day they loaded the scientist's cargo.

"How are you doing Lee" Harri asked once Chip had left. "Chip said you had a rough meeting with a hatch sill and by the squint of your eyes I'd say you're nursing more than just a headache."

Lee gave Harri a quick smile. "I'm fine sir, just a little bruised is all. How about yourself? Did you have any rude encounters with the walls or deck?"

Harri just rolled his eyes at Lee's stock answer. Unless there was incontrovertible proof that he was injured, like a gaping chest wound or a missing limb he was always 'fine'. He'd have to sic Jamie on him after they got things better under control to find out the real extent of his injuries. "I just bet. Luckily I managed to avoid any damage. I was coming down the staircase and was able to sit down and hold on until we hit bottom."

"That's good to hear sir," Lee replied, his relief evident in the smile that shot across his face. "I would suggest we head down to sick bay," Lee started, then bit back a scowl at Harri's shocked expression. "To check on the injured and see if Jamie has had an opportunity to look over Watkins yet," he finished hopefully forestalling any of Nelson's attempts to deposit him into Jamie's clutches.

Harri nodded in agreement and started making his way towards the stairs. Lee scanned the control room and spotted Chip reviewing old duty rosters. "Chip we're heading to sick bay to see if Jamie has any information on what killed Watkins."

"Alright Lee," Morton acknowledged. "Baker had security watch in port, I'll get with him and see if he noticed anything out of the ordinary when he screened the cargo brought aboard." Lee nodded and then turned and followed Nelson up the stairs.

(o)(o)(o)


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Amherst laid on the floor dazed and nearly frozen with fear at the sound of the klaxons and the sudden rock and roll of the boat. He had been thrown heavily to the deck as Seaview reacted to the loss of her control systems and was only now beginning to contemplate a move. Cummins likewise had been pitched to the deck but seemed much more composed as he levered himself up and surveyed the room now bathed in an eerie red light.

"You okay Fred?" Greg asked as he moved over to him extending a hand to help him up.

"Ye…yeah, I think so," Amherst replied unsteadily as he grabbed the outstretched hand and climbed to his feet. "What the hell happened?"

"That's a real good question. If you're okay I'm going to go check on Kevin and see how he's doing."

"Yeah, I'm good just really shook up," he replied not having to fake the quaver in his voice or the tremble of his body.

Greg regarded him for a moment and almost snorted in disdain at his less than manly reaction to the situation. "Okay, you stay here and settle down. I'll come get you if I need help."

"Thanks Greg," he replied picking up the thinly veiled derision in his voice. ' _You're next on the list bud_ ,' he thought to himself as he watched Cummins leave.

He sat there quietly on his bunk bringing his heart rate and breathing under control. He listened to the excited voices sounding up and down the corridor as the crew worked to determine what had happened and take back control of their boat. As the voices faded he heard a slight scratching sound at the air vent up near the ceiling. He quickly grabbed a chair placed it under the vent then climbed atop it and pried the cover open finding the mingehe sitting there.

He gently picked it up, closed the vent and returned to his bunk. His hands shook even more as he stared at the thing knowing it was more than likely responsible for what had happened to the boat. It once again was the inanimate doll back in its original posture eyes once again closed. As he continued to look at it the lights suddenly snapped on and he sighed in relief as he realized the crew was making progress.

He inspected the figure more carefully and was sure he could see flecks of red on its fur and face. He rubbed his thumb gently over both and when he pulled it back he found it covered in blood. A wave of panic and realization swept over him that this thing really had murdered his long-time enemy. He had to get it cleaned up now so if anyone found the doll there would be no traces of Crane's blood on it.

Amherst grabbed a towel from the rack and quickly began wiping it down trying to remove all traces of its activities. Once done he moved to his locker and pulled the box out of his backpack and laid it on the bed. He took off the lid then retrieved the gold collar from his pocket placed it around the doll's neck and tightened down the small screw that held it shut. As he made the last turn he was hit with a sudden crippling pain in his chest and in his head. He then felt what seemed like an electrical jolt run through him as though he'd been electrocuted. He folded over cradling his chest and head gasping for breath as tears streamed uncontrollably from his eyes.

He sat there on the edge of his bed paralyzed in agonizing pain for what seemed an eternity. After a few minutes the pain began to fade and he began breathing easier. He forced himself to sit upright then finally leaned back against the bulkhead and trembled even harder. What the hell had just happened?

Feeling a bit more steady he got up from his bunk and made his way to the head to splash a little water on his face and grab a couple of aspirin. He popped the aspirin in his mouth, grabbed a handful of water and swallowed it to chase them down. Next he doused his face with the cool water and felt much better. He picked up the towel and patted his face dry then looked in the mirror only to be shocked at the reflection that peered back at him.

The face in the mirror, his face, looked as though it had aged a decade. He gaped in amazement cautiously prodding his features, pulling tight the skin and unfolding the wrinkles around his eyes. After a few minutes and the initial shock wore off he chalked it up to the lack of sleep and the stress of the situation. He needed a stiff drink but knowing there was no chance of that he decided to head down to the wardroom and see if perchance the cook had managed to make a fresh pot of that stuff they called coffee.

As he exited his cabin he spied two men carrying a large black bag on a stretcher. He pressed himself against the bulkhead to get out of their way as he realized it was a body bag no doubt carrying Crane's remains to the makeshift morgue. The two crewmen totally ignored him as they passed by on their solemn march. He sighed in relief feeling elated that his nemesis had finally been dealt with appropriately. He turned and continued on his way to the wardroom for a celebratory shot of coffee.

(o)(o)(o)

Thrilled to find a fresh carafe of coffee, he poured himself a cup and grabbed a table in the corner of the wardroom. He had to work hard to contain the smile he felt trying to peek out as he mentally patted himself on the back for carrying out his plan with no chance of ever being tied to the deed. He only wished he could have been there to enlighten Crane as to why he had been attacked, to see the look on his face when he finally realized who he was. As he sat there daydreaming and staring blankly into his cup, his victory celebration was suddenly shattered as he heard a boat-wide announcement over the speaker.

"Attention, this is the captain. We are now at general quarters. Crewman Watkins was attacked and killed by whatever tore up the circuitry room. Security will be conducting roving patrols in an effort to locate and apprehend whatever attacked Watkins. Everyone is to stay alert and report anything suspicious to the MMA immediately. Crane out."

Amherst paled immediately realizing he was in some way responsible for the death of an innocent man. He couldn't for the life of him figure out why the crewman had been killed instead of Crane. He had followed Dharbaka's instructions to the letter. The only thing he could possibly think of was that the man had somehow startled the thing as it tracked down Crane. Where success had him running mental victory laps, this crushing blow had his stomach now feeling as though it had been tied into a Gordian knot.

Fred slowly pushed up from the table and deposited his cup in the dish tub then made his way back to his cabin. He needed to think on this now, was he up to going after Crane again? What if another innocent victim died because of Crane, could he live with that? Hell he had been an innocent victim of Crane's machinations in gaining the science fair prize and deliberately destroying his life. He couldn't let this opportunity pass knowing he'd never get another chance.

(o)(o)(o)


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Nelson and Crane entered sick bay finding Jamie had a full house. Every bunk was filled with injured and there were more waiting in the hallway needing his ministrations. Lee did a quick tour of the bunk room and touched base with those men who were conscious. He stopped briefly at the beds of the three men sporting serious concussions and touched their shoulders and spoke quietly to them letting them know they were not alone.

Returning to the exam room he finally spotted Jamie as he came out of x-ray with John having taken pictures of a crewman's broken arm. Apparently Jamie and Frank had both not escaped injury themselves as they each sported bandages on their foreheads and Jamie's forearm was wrapped tightly with an ace bandage.

"How's it going Will?" Nelson asked as he walked over to the doctor.

"Well as you can see we're doing a bang up business here. Luckily most of the injuries are minor with a few simple broken bones. We do have three serious concussions that we're monitoring carefully. Given what we just went through we got off relatively easy all things considered."

Nelson and Crane nodded in agreement with his assessment. "How are you and Frank holding up?" Harri inquired further.

"Frank's got a nice laceration on the forehead with six stiches along with some deep bruising on his back but he'll live," Jamie replied as he winked at Frank. "I've got a nice cut on my forehead and a strained wrist which luckily isn't impacting my ability to work too much. Now how about the both of you?"

"A couple of bruises that's about it," Nelson replied.

"Same here," answered Crane as he averted his eyes.

"Uh huh. Come here Skipper let me look into your eyes," Jamie said, always dubious of Lee's assessment of his own health.

"I'm fine Jamie," Lee stated. "Jamie have you heard about Watkins?" he said diverting the conversation away from him.

Jamie's eyes narrowed as he considered his CO, he was hiding something but thus far it didn't appear to be life threatening. "Only that he was attacked by something and killed."

"Security will be bringing his body down here in due course. When you have time take a look and see if you can determine what attacked him," Lee continued.

Jamieson looked quickly around his sick bay taking a mental inventory. "I think I should have a chance in about an hour or so. I need to take care of the living before I move on to someone beyond my help."

"I completely understand," Lee replied then cringed as a spike of pain shot through his head. "Make sure everyone gets what they need first."

Jamie snorted a bit then turned and walked over to the medicine cabinet. He grabbed a bottle and shook out a couple of pills into a paper cup then returned to where Nelson and Crane were standing. He handed the cup to Lee. "Here take these, they should knock down the headache you're trying to hide. And let me at least clean and bandage that cut on your forehead," Lee looked as though he were about to balk. "Take them or I'll declare you unfit until I can conduct an exam and make an informed diagnosis," he threatened.

Lee popped the pills in his mouth then went to the sink to grab a mouthful of water to force them down. "Thanks Jamie," he replied with a tired smile.

"You're welcome. Once everything is more under control I will expect you back here so I can check you over for whatever else you're hiding. Now sit down for a moment and I'll get your head taken care of and you're free to go."

Lee nodded his acknowledgement of the order and sat carefully down on the chair, which did not escape Jamieson's notice. Jamie efficiently cleansed the wound and applied a small bandage over the cut.

"There Skipper, you're good to go for a while. Remember your promise to return for a full exam."

Lee scowled slightly then nodded. "Let me know when you get something on Watkins," he said then turned and exited sick bay. Nelson smiled and sent an affirming nod to Jamie that their problem child would return then followed his captain out into the corridor.

"Lee I'm going to head to the reactor room to see if Marks needs any assistance then on to my lab to see what damage was sustained there," Nelson said.

"Very well sir. I'm heading to the circuitry room to check on their progress there then back up to the control room to see what Chip has found out about the cargo that was brought aboard." As Lee continued down the passageway air started to flow out of the vents causing him to sigh in relief. They were making good progress, now all they needed was to take care of what had caused the problem.

(o)(o)(o)

Lee strode into the circuitry room and regarded the men working on the various cabinets restringing wire and replacing fried circuits. The growing pile of discarded wires and circuit cards dramatically demonstrated the scope of the damage done to their systems. "How's it going?" he asked announcing his presence.

"We're getting there Skipper," Sharkey replied. "As you no doubt noticed we have the air back on line and are now tackling the other systems."

"Yes I did and definitely breathed a sigh of relief on that one," Lee replied with a slight smile. "How much longer before everything is operational again?"

"For everything, I'd say at least day. We're working on navigation, sonar, radar, communications and ballast control right now. Once we get those squared away we'll hit the less critical systems," the chief answered.

"Very well. Make sure you keep the control room updated on your progress," Crane responded and turned to depart. Sharkey nodded acknowledging the order.

"Uh Skipper," Kowalski called out.

"Yes, Ski what is it?"

"Sir, we found this in one of the snarls of wire as we were pulling them down," Ski answered and held up what looked like a claw torn from whatever had trashed the room. Crane moved over quickly took the claw and turned it over in his hand. It looked almost like a human fingernail.

"Thanks Ski. Got any idea what it might have come from?" Lee asked as he looked at the other men in the room. He received a chorus of 'nopes' from those assembled. "Well hopefully the admiral can shed some light on what we're dealing with here. Carry on and keep up the great work," he said then exited heading for the control room.

(o)(o)(o)

Lee came through the aft hatch and entered the control room. The crew was busily working on their stations repairing the damage done following events in the circuitry room and the subsequent rush to the bottom. He quickly spied Chip up near the chart table talking with Lt. O'Brien and walked forward to join them.

"Okay get a couple of bodies focused on getting ballast control back on-line. Without control of that we're not going anywhere." Chip said to Bobby.

"How's it going?" Lee asked catching the tail end of their conversation.

"We're getting there Lee, slowly but surely. Most of the repairs have been completed on the systems here, we're just waiting for the live feeds from the circuitry room to bring everything back on line. The one thing that looks problematic at the moment is ballast control and I've got Bobby overseeing that." Chip replied as he clapped Bobby on the shoulder.

"Good. Sharkey and team have things well in hand down in the circuitry room and things should start going active in short order," Lee answered. "Have you been able to find out about the cargo? Did you touch base with Baker?"

"Yes. He said he had them open every crate so he could take a peek inside. Apparently since all their cargo was coming from the jungle Sharkey didn't want the slightest chance that there were any creepy crawlies like spiders skulking about so he wanted an exceedingly close screening of what was coming aboard," Chip responded with a smile which was quickly shared by Bobby and Lee. It was well known that Sharkey was a bit of an arachnophob and went to extreme lengths to make sure none made it aboard Seaview.

"Have you come up with anything on what caused this?" Chip inquired.

"Not yet. Once Jamie gets things under more control in sick bay he'll take a look at Watkins' body for any clues. Also Ski found this in one of the snarls of destroyed wiring," Lee said producing the claw and passing it to Chip.

Chip examined it then handed it to Bobby. "It looks almost human," Bobby commented as he turned it over in his hand.

"That was my first thought as well," Lee replied as he took the nail from Bobby. "I get a feeling what happened is tied to our guests but don't have anything specific yet. I'm heading down to the lab now to touch base with the admiral give him the claw and see if he can come up with an owner. Keep at it Chip, you and the crew are doing a great job."

"Thanks Lee, I'll pass that on. Let us know what the admiral thinks," Chip replied.

Lee smiled and nodded. "Will do," he said as he turned to go to the lab.

(o)(o)(o)

Having found everything under control in the reactor room, Nelson had gone quickly to his lab to see what damage had been done following their latest bout of rock and roll. Expecting the worst he was unfortunately not disappointed at the level of destruction he discovered in the room. Anything left unsecured was now scattered all across the floor and in most cases broken or leaking. Luckily his salt water tanks were still intact and the fish swimming inside seemed none the worse for wear.

He quickly set about picking up things from the floor and returning them to their appropriate cabinets. As he worked he was soon joined by Blanchard and Cummins.

"Admiral, could you use a little help with this mess?" Kevin asked as he took in the room.

"Ah Kevin, yes I would appreciate a hand here and there," Nelson replied with a grateful smile. He immediately took note that Amherst was not with them. "Is Amherst okay?" he asked his concern quite obvious.

"Yeah, he's fine," replied Greg. "He just got really shook up by all the action. I told him to hang tight until he felt more settled."

Harri didn't miss the note of disdain in Cummins voice or the look of agreement on Blanchard's face. They apparently weren't too pleased with their compatriot's reaction under pressure.

"Well even as one accustomed to Seaview's fits something like what we just went through ruffles my feathers as well. If you're not overly comfortable in a sub to begin with this little tantrum could really play with your mind," Harri offered hoping they wouldn't judge the man unfairly.

They both nodded acknowledging the admiral's words but something told him that Amherst's current behavior wasn't anything unusual. They set to cleaning up the lab and ensuring everything was tucked neatly away. Lee entered as they were just finishing up their work.

"Ah that's what I like to see," Lee said with a grin. "Hard at work and making it show."

Harri looked up from what he was doing and just glared at him. "If you could keep the boat steady we wouldn't have to go through this exercise," he bantered back garnering the answering scowl from Lee he was after.

"At least nothing exploded this time," Lee retorted. "How bad was it sir?"

"Didn't lose anything that can't be replaced," Harri answered. "What's the status of the boat?"

Lee quickly filled the admiral in on the state of repairs and estimates for completion. After he was done he reached into his pocket and pulled out the claw. "Sir, Kowalski found this in one of the bundles of ruined cables," he said as he passed to Nelson.

Nelson looked it over then handed it off to Blanchard and Cummins for their inspection. "A claw?"

"That's what it looks like to me," Lee answered. "It no doubt belongs to whatever killed Watkins."

Blanchard and Cummins looked up shocked having heard for the first time someone had been killed. "Somebody was killed?"

"Yes. One of the crewman encountered something in the passageway near the circuitry room. It killed Watkins then entered the room and tore apart nearly every console resulting in our unscheduled trip to the bottom of the sea," Lee explained.

"Oh god," Cummins said with a grimace.

"You know Admiral, this reminds me very much of the claws on a baboon or mandrill. I've seen quite a few of them in the past year," Blanchard offered with Cummins nodding in agreement.

"An ape? How the hell would an ape get on board?" Harri asked.

"I haven't a clue," Lee answered. "Chip checked with Baker and he said all the cargo that came aboard in Cameroon was clean, nothing unexpected."

"I can vouch for that Captain," Blanchard said. "None of our boxes or crates are large enough to contain an animal big enough to have a claw this large. Every large container is packed full with smaller ones, space for us was at a premium. Looking at this claw, if it was a baboon or mandrill based on my experience it would have been a big one, nearly four feet tall and well over a hundred pounds."

"Thanks for the information Kevin," Nelson replied. "Have you heard anything back from Jamie yet regarding his examination of Watkins?"

"Not yet, he is actually next on my list to visit, to see if he's had a chance to take a look," Lee answered clarifying the reason for visiting the doctor. Harri just rolled his eyes.

"Well then we can head down to sick bay together. Would you be willing to take a look Kevin? Maybe you can give us some idea if an ape of some sort was responsible for the attack." Nelson inquired.

"Sure Admiral, I'd be happy to help out anyway I can," Blanchard replied.

"Thank you. I think we're finished here, let's head to sick bay and see if Jamie has found anything of interest." Nelson responded.

(o)(o)(o)

They entered sick bay and the exam room just as Jamie was zipping the body bag closed. He looked up at Nelson and Crane and just shook his head in disgust. "Excellent timing gentlemen, I just finished my exam. God what a mess. He was really torn up but I think he died fairly quickly from massive blood loss so he didn't suffer long."

"What did you find Jamie?" Lee asked as he moved next to the gurney where Watkins' body lay.

"I think it was definitely some kind of animal. From my initial exam the thing had a large mouth with upper canine teeth about 3 inches long and lower ones running 2 to 2½ inches long. It was incredibly strong with long clawed hands. The bruising on his arms and torso are almost consistent with a man's grip which almost makes me think it was an ape of some sort. There are horrendous scratches and bite marks on his chest, face and arms and his throat for all intents and purposes was torn out. Watkins didn't go without a fight though as he had tufts of fur clenched in his fists and bite marks to both hands."

Jamie turned around and picked up a sealed plastic bag resting on the rolling tray and passed it to the admiral. Inside were large tufts of multi-colored fur that he had pulled out of Watkins' hands. Harri examined the fur carefully then handed the bag to Blanchard. Blanchard peered at the contents and began nodding indicating he recognized what was inside the bag.

"Admiral this fur belongs to a male mandrill. See here you've got the olive green shades that cover the majority of its body, this gold colored swatch and the bluish black fur comes from around its neck and mane. Their coloring is very distinctive and not hard to recognize," he said as he passed the bag to Lee.

Accepting the bag, Lee then fished in his pocket and pulled out the claw. "This was found in the circuitry room, Jamie. Does it look to be the right size for the scratches you mentioned?"

Jamie took the claw and examined it. "Yes, I'd say it's a perfect fit. If I took a swab off it I bet I'd find traces of Watkins' skin on the underside. Now here's the $64,000 question how did it get on board?"

"That's one question we haven't been able to come up with an answer for as yet. It had to have gotten aboard in Douala but I can't quite figure out how that happened," Lee answered. "Where's it been since we left? Why did it attack? And where is it now? Those are all questions I really want answers to as well."

"Can't argue with you there Skipper," Doc replied. "So now that I have you here…"

"Don't go there Jamie, I'll be back later," Lee answered shooting him a scowl.

(o)(o)(o)

Amherst sat quietly in his cabin trying to reformulate his plan now that his first attempt had failed so miserably. He'd have to make another foray to Crane's cabin to try and get something more personal than a towel this time. What complicated things now, were the roving patrols that would be roaming the passageways of the sub. He knew the potential for being seen stealing into or out of the captain's cabin had increased astronomically making the odds of pulling that off almost nil.

There had to be another way. He would have to go back to watching Crane on the sly now that his and in fact the entire crew's routine had just changed. They were still several days out of port so he still had time, he just needed to keep watch and take advantage of any opportunity presented to him. As he sat back against the bulkhead his gaze traveled to the vent at the top of the room and he was suddenly struck with an idea. He had noticed vents of differing size around the boat, maybe one of the larger ones ran to the captain's cabin. He could get inside and try to work his way to his cabin and get in that way. It was worth a shot.

Settling on a new plan of action, Fred felt a surge of calm pass over him. He wouldn't let this opportunity pass him by. He would sit tight for a day or so until things settled down after they got back underway and security's vigilance had dropped a bit then he would put his plan in action. Once he had another bit of Crane, one he was certain would lead the mingehe directly to him he would collect on his debt.

(o)(o)(o)


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

It had taken nearly two days to repair all the damage done in the circuitry room and to the boat following their drop to the ocean floor. Now that everything had been repaired and double checked they were ready to lift off the bottom and resume their journey.

"Blow all ballast tanks, Mr. Morton, 5 degrees up bubble, ahead one third," Lee ordered once he was satisfied with the status of his boat.

"Blow all ballast tanks, 5 degrees up bubble, ahead one third, aye," Chip repeated to the helmsman who in turn echoed the order. Seaview hesitated for a moment as she pushed up out of the muck then began her ascent.

"Take us to 90 feet," the captain ordered.

"Ninety feet, aye sir," the XO repeated and they began their slow ascent to the surface.

"Okay everyone keep a close eye on your stations and call out if you run into any problems. Is that understood?" Lee called out to the control room crew.

"Aye Skipper," was returned from each man.

Lee strolled back and forth in the control room stealing glances from each of the stations making sure everything was operational and safe for them to continue on. He smiled and patted each man on the back as everything appeared green across the board. "Looks like we're back in business, Mr. Morton. Well done, well done all."

Lee walked over to the periscope island and picked up the microphone. "Attention all hands, we are now fully operational and headed back home. Thank you all for your outstanding efforts to make repairs and get us back on course. Crane, out." An audible sigh of relief seemed to escape from everyone aboard at the news.

"All right Chip, set us a course for home, best speed," Lee ordered. Chip quickly acknowledged the order and provided the necessary coordinates and speed to the helmsmen.

"That takes care of one problem leaving us with one big one remaining. Now all we have to do is find that monkey." Chip said. Lee nodded grimly as he recalled the gruesome sight of Watkins lying on the deck ripped to hell.

"I don't like the fact the thing has disappeared. Security has nearly torn the boat apart looking for the damn thing and come up empty. I have no idea where else to have them look," Lee answered. "Well now that everything is up and running I'm heading to my cabin to take care of that mountain of paperwork that has been breeding in my in box. You have the conn."

"Aye Skipper, I have the conn," Chip replied with a smile. "Have fun." Lee shot him a slight scowl, waved then headed to the staircase and his cabin.

(o)(o)(o)

Two days had passed and as Fred had hoped vigilance of the security teams had begun to lessen as they continued their patrols of the corridors. They were no longer jumping and investigating the slightest noise hopefully giving him the opportunity to sneak into the vent system and steal into Crane's cabin once more.

With Cummins down in the lab with Blanchard, Amherst pried open the vent cover and hoisted himself inside. He had studied the schematics of the boat and had a basic idea how to get to where he wanted to be. He carefully pulled the cover shut then as quietly as possible began making his way towards the captain's quarters.

After nearly twenty minutes and a couple of wrong turns later he finally found himself in the vent shaft opening into Crane's cabin. As he was ready to push the cover open he suddenly froze when he heard the cabin door open and someone come in. He pushed back as far out of view as possible and watched to see who had entered. The next thing he saw was Crane moving back and forth across his cabin. A few minutes later he eventually pulled out his desk chair sat down grabbed a pile of papers from a box on his desk and began working on them.

Amherst fought hard to bite back the groan of disappointment as he watched Crane settle in for the long haul. He mentally debated whether to hang out where he was and hope the man left shortly or make the long crawl back to his cabin and try again later. After a few moments he decided that he would sit tight for the time being and pray someone paged him and required his presence somewhere else on the boat.

Fred sat quietly in the shaft watching Crane shuffle through the papers and efficiently move them from one box to another as he completed his work. As the time dragged on and he began to consider crawling back to his cabin to try later, Crane was contacted by the admiral requesting his presence in his cabin. The captain quickly returned his papers to the top box on his desk and exited his cabin presumably to see the admiral in his.

As Crane exited and the door shut Amherst wasted no time pushing the vent grate open and entering the cabin. His legs felt like wet spaghetti since he'd been sitting motionless and cramped up for so long. Returning circulation to his extremities he quickly made his way to the head and looked around. Much to his delight he spotted a discarded bandage with a trace of blood on it no doubt used to cover the gash on his forehead. He snagged the item out of the trash shoved it into the plastic baggie he had in his pocket, climbed back into the vent and made his way back to his cabin. Reaching his cabin, Amherst eased his way out of the vent shaft and just as he was shutting the grate Cummins entered.

"Whatcha doing?" Greg asked as he regarded his cabin mate pushing the grate shut.

"Nothing, I thought I heard something scurrying around inside and was just taking a peek," Amherst replied.

"You probably should've called security instead of investigating yourself," Cummins said. "The last thing you want to find is whatever tore that poor kid apart."

Fred nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're probably right. I hadn't thought of that. I'll let one of the security guys know next time I see one. So what's going on?"

"Kevin sent me back to get you to help out with sample identification. The divers were really thorough when they collected things."

"Sure thing. I was getting kind of bored anyway," Amherst lied. "I need to use the head and then I'll go on down to the lab."

"Okay I'll see you down there," Greg replied. He regarded Amherst for a moment more, there was something going on with this guy but he just didn't know what. He decided he'd report that Amherst heard something in the vent shaft to one of the security details just to make sure they were aware of it.

(o)(o)(o)

It was just past 0200 when Amherst woke. He listened intently to his cabin mate making sure the man was sound asleep. Hearing the soft snores he figured he was out so he eased himself out of bed pulled on his clothes and exited the cabin.

As the door clicked quietly shut Cummins opened his eyes. Where the hell would he be going this time of night, he wondered. Not fully trusting Amherst, he decided it would be a wise thing to find out what he was up to now. He quickly got dressed then headed out the door to find his colleague.

Amherst had kept a close eye on the roving security patrols and knew that they had just completed their sweep of the corridors on this deck and would have moved on to the next giving him the opportunity to move to the storage room undetected. He crept silently down the passageway hoping to make it to his destination undetected.

As he rounded the corner next to the storage room he nearly ran into one of the security teams. He ducked back around the corner and froze hoping they hadn't heard him and would move on. The seconds moved like hours before the two man team continued down the passageway and up to the next deck. Amherst sighed in relief then quickly moved to the storage room and entered before the detail changed their minds.

Once inside he locked the door then waited quietly listening for anyone else passing by in the corridor. Now certain that he was alone, he moved over to where he had his stuff stashed and pulled it out. He withdrew the plastic baggie from his pocket opened it and dumped the soiled bandage into the bowl. Next he made a small cut in his finger and added his blood on top. He then removed the mingehe from its box, removed its collar and placed next to the bowl. He added a pinch of the magic powder, recited the incantation and then lit and dropped a match into the bowl and watched it flare to life. He fanned the smoke over the figurine then sat back and waited for the magic to do its work.

Again the wait seemed interminable and as Amherst shifted uncomfortably on the cold deck and began collecting his things the mingehe's eyes snapped open fixing him in its beady gaze. An evil smile spread across his face knowing this time there would be no mistake. "Go, destroy," he whispered to the thing then climbed to his feet picked up the mingehe and deposited it in the air vent. As he shut the grate he heard the unmistakable scratch of its claws against the metal beneath it as it made its way towards its intended victim.

His juggernaut dispatched, Amherst quickly collected his items and returned them to his hiding place. Hopefully after the mingehe's next kill he could retrieve them and stow them for good until they reached home. He smiled once more then moved to the door opened it and came face to face with his cabin mate leaning back against the bulkhead across from him.

Fred's look of shock could not in any way be hidden from the man standing across from him. "What the hell are you up to Amherst?" Cummins asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Uh…nothing, nothing at all. Just couldn't sleep and went for a walk," Amherst stammered.

"You can't lie worth shit you know that? So cut the crap. You don't go into a store room and lock the door because you can't sleep. You've been acting odd ever since we came aboard. What were you doing in there?"

Amherst's mind was a maelstrom of activity as he quickly tried to formulate a plan to take care of Cummins for the short term until his could sic his 'friend' on him to make sure his secret stayed safe. A plan finally taking shape, he had to act now or risk all of this coming down on him.

"Yeah, well you caught me. I traded some stuff with Dharbaka to get an odd bit of jungle magic and I was just trying it out. Come on in and I'll show you what I've been doing," Amherst replied with some embarrassment.

Cummins regarded Amherst for a moment trying to think of anything the old man had that Fred would likely be interested in. His curiosity now piqued, he wanted to see what the man had been doing. "Okay, show me."

Amherst opened the door and entered the room with Cummins following after. Cummins sniffed and wrinkled his nose at the lingering scent of the burnt offering. He watched as Amherst moved over to where he'd hidden his stash and pulled it out. He laid out the articles on top of a crate and then stepped back to allow the other man to inspect them.

"So what is it?" Cummins asked staring at the items.

"It's really quite amazing," Amherst replied. "Dharbaka gave me a doll that can be brought to life if you make an offering and say a few words of mumbo jumbo over it. I've been practicing so I can show it to my nephew when I get home."

Cummins stared at the man as if he were on drugs or crazy. After a moment he moved forward and began looking at the things Amherst had laid out; a wooden box, a bowl, a gold collar and chain, a razor and a leather pouch with some sort of powder in it. As he picked up the small box to open it Amherst attacked hitting him in the back of the head with a length of pipe he had found in the room. Cummins went down hard and immediately lost consciousness.

Amherst stood there over his victim breathing hard and shaking, shocked and amazed at what he had done. As the adrenaline surge faded he quickly surveyed the room looking for anything he could use to bind the man. His search turned up a box of large zip ties which were perfect for his needs. He grabbed a handful then set to binding Cummins hands and feet. He also spotted a roll of duct tape, tore off a length and pasted it over his victim's mouth.

That done he stepped back and looked down at his handiwork. He couldn't believe he was capable of taking the man down and the thought of that rattled him. Knowing there was no way he could let Cummins live he would give the mingehe one final task.

He dragged Cummins over to the corner of the room and moved a few boxes in front of him to keep him out of sight if someone should come into the room. He whisked everything back into the small bag and shoved it behind the boxes by the unconscious man. That done he moved to the door cracked it open and surveyed the corridor. Finding no one about, he eased his way out of the room and beat a hasty retreat to his quarters to await the sound of the alarms once someone discovered Crane's mutilated body.

(o)(o)(o)


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The mingehe moved stealthily through the vent shaft stopping occasionally to sniff for signs of its assigned victim. This one's scent was everywhere making it difficult for it to zero in on the strongest source. As it reached a junction it finally caught a strong whiff and began to follow it finding itself behind the vent grate in Crane's cabin.

It listened for sounds of its prey and heard the slow and steady breathing of someone asleep in the room. It quietly pushed on the grate until it opened then lowered itself to the floor. It quickly scoped out the room and spotted its victim stretched out on the bunk along the wall. It moved silently over to the bunk and climbed up onto the foot of the bed. It regarded the sleeping man for a moment as it prepared to attack.

(o)(o)(o)

Never one to sleep too soundly, Lee found himself suddenly awake, aware that someone or _something_ had entered his cabin and was now seated at the foot of his bed. He hadn't heard the door or seen the corridor light invade the cabin so he knew whoever it was had to have come in through the vent. Moving as slowly as he could, he eased his hand under his pillow quickly finding his primed .45 automatic pistol. He flicked off the safety then reached up and snapped on the light over his bunk.

Squinting against the sudden rush of light he was momentarily frozen by the sight of the hideous creature poised to attack at the foot of his bunk. Lee immediately took aim and fired off three shots each one impacting the creature slamming it back against the wall. It snarled in anger then opened its mouth wide baring its formidable fangs.

Lee rolled quickly off the bed and hit the deck hard as his feet became entangled in the sheets. As he got to his knees the mingehe pounced on him slamming him back onto the deck and raking its claws across his back. Lee screamed out in pain and rolled over throwing the animal off of him splaying it onto the deck. He forced himself to his feet, took aim and fired three more times again each bullet hitting the mark.

The animal roared furiously and bared its teeth again. Lee watched in horror as he realized that his bullets were inflicting no harm whatsoever. He braced himself as he watched it crouch then launch itself at him slamming him hard into the bulkhead behind him. As they hurtled backwards it sank its fangs deep into Lee's shoulder eliciting another scream in pain.

Stunned but not totally out of it, Lee managed to get his leg up between him and the ape and was able to shove the beast off him and across the room. He staggered back up to his feet as the creature regained its equilibrium and prepared to launch another assault. Just as it was ready to attack Lee's cabin door was hurled open and the security detail barreled into the room startling the occupants.

Unable to get a clean shot at the thing, Henderson turned his rifle into a club and bashed the animal in the head. The mingehe roared in anger and charged the man delivering a vicious bite to his arm. Henderson screamed in agony and stumbled backwards as Baker swung his rifle at the beast knocking it away from his partner. The animal recoiled and prepared to attack again but froze as it was assaulted by the screeching klaxons and additional men rushing into Crane's cabin responding to the gun shots. It roared in anger and frustration unable to complete its task then bolted for the open vent shaft and disappeared into the bowels of the boat.

(o)(o)(o)

The animal now gone and momentarily safe, Lee staggered forward towards the admiral and Chip nearly collapsing into Harri's arms. He was bleeding badly from the bite to his shoulder and was just moments away from passing out from blood loss and the aftereffects of the adrenaline rush following his struggle with the ape. Chip rushed into the head and grabbed some towels. He tossed one to Baker to take care of Henderson and then placed the other on Lee's injury trying to stem the flow of blood.

Harri in the meantime had taken control of his dazed captain and managed to get him seated in his desk chair before he passed out. Lee feebly tried to fend him off as he wanted to check on his men and then lead the hunt for that thing. Seeing the chief enter his cabin he spoke, "Sharkey, get security on alert. Have teams placed at all the large vents and secure them all so it can't get out if it's still inside or back in if it's out. Check every single space on this boat, now," he ordered weakly.

"Aye Skipper I'm on it," Sharkey replied as he turned and headed out the door to carry out his orders.

"Lee just sit still," commanded Nelson. "We'll take care of everything, you relax."

"Admiral," Lee nearly gasped out. "I shot it six times and nothing…nothing… slowed it down. It just kept… coming back at me. Only…only thing…that slowed it down…down…was the…the alarm."

"All right Lee we'll take care of it now. You just relax and settle down, that's an order son," Harri replied trying desperately to quiet his captain and hide his concern.

Just as Chip prepared to call sick bay Jamie rushed into the cabin also alerted by the gun fire and alarm. Knowing gunshots usually meant injuries he had grabbed the medkit he kept in his cabin for emergencies such as this. He quickly checked on Henderson and applied a pressure bandage to the ragged wound to his arm. He instructed Baker to get another man and escort his partner down to sick bay immediately and send John back with a stretcher for the captain.

Turning his attention to the captain Jamie moved quickly across the cabin to check out his most frequent and difficult patient. The amount of blood loss was alarming as the front of his pajama shirt was saturated as was the towel Chip had pressed against the wound. Lee's eyes were becoming glassy and he was fighting desperately to remain conscious as he moved deeper into shock.

He pulled out a pressure bandage and added that on top of Chip's towel to keep from disturbing any clots that may have started forming. As he pulled the captain forward to bring the bandage around his back he was dismayed to find the back of his pajama top shredded and also saturated with blood from the scratches the animal had inflicted. He pulled yet another pressure bandage out of his bag and added that to Lee's badly lacerated back.

The bleeding somewhat controlled he picked up Lee's wrist and measured his heartbeat. The rapid and weak pulse he registered confirmed the captain's precarious grip on life as his blood volume dropped. Just as he was ready to yell about not having a stretcher ready to transport his patient he was relieved to see John enter with the skipper's ride.

"John, over here. Chip, Harri help me get him up and on the stretcher," Jamieson directed. As the three men helped Lee to his feet then moved him to the stretcher Lee had a vague feeling of being passed from one person to the next like a platter of meat. Ready to protest that he could easily make it to sick bay on his own, his world suddenly went dark as he finally gave in to his injuries.

Once Lee was down Jamie and John quickly secured him for transport on the stretcher. That done John and Kowalski grabbed either end and beat a hasty retreat to sick bay where the doctor could work his magic on the injured man. Knowing their presence would not be tolerated until Jamie had control over the situation, Morton and Nelson remained in Lee's cabin as the doctor and crew headed to sick bay.

"Well now we know what we're looking for," Chip said grimly as he stared at the blood covering the walls and floor.

"That we do, but how the hell did it get on board and where is it holing up?" Nelson replied as he too noted all the blood. "I know the security teams have checked every space and every container large enough to hold something of that size and come up empty."

"The only thing I can think of is that it's tied somehow to the people we brought aboard in Cameroon. It's the only possible explanation but how it's tied to them is beyond me right now," Chip answered frustrated at not possessing the answers he needed. "Do you think Lee really shot it 6 times?"

Nelson nodded affirmatively. "I think it's a very distinct possibility. You know Lee's a marksman and always hits what he's shooting at even while under attack. Look around the cabin I don't see any bullets or marks on the wall only six empty shell casings. Come on Chip, let's go talk with Blanchard and crew and see if we can shake something loose."

"Aye sir," Chip replied.

(o)(o)(o)

Amherst had made his way rapidly back to his cabin then crawled immediately on top of his bunk and drew himself into a tight ball in one corner. He sat there rocking back and forth as he tried desperately to calm his nerves after his attack on Cummins. Never in his life had he physically assaulted anyone and the flush of adrenaline he'd experienced was wearing off leaving him a trembling mess.

As he sat there trying to rein in his emotions and plan for what he had to do next he inexplicably experienced three ripping, tearing pains in his chest. He felt as though he'd been physically slammed against the back wall of his bunk which left him crumpled over on his side gasping for breath. Though not nearly as bad as the pain he'd felt after Watkins had been killed the agony he endured now was equally crippling. Fighting hard to regain his breath he waited for the sound of the emergency alarms announcing the animal's attack.

Lying there nursing the pain in his chest he had to smile knowing Crane most likely had met his doom. Just as the ache began to wane he was nailed with another three stabbing pains through his chest which left him drooling and in tears on his bed. His eyes screwed shut against the pain he breathed heavily between clenched teeth as he tried to fight his way through the second wave. Again just as he was beginning to make headway he felt as though his head exploded as a searing jolt thundered through his skull which was followed seconds later by another. Fred moaned in pain and tasted salty bile in the back of him mouth as he fought the urge to vomit as the waves of agony overwhelmed his ability to cope. Just then the alarms sounded adding more to his misery.

Drenched in sweat and curled into a fetal ball he notionally became aware of the fact the klaxon had stopped. He managed a relieved sigh and was finally able to push himself back into a seated position. As he gained more control over his body he eased his way off the bed and staggered into the head where he began to vomit and once his stomach was empty he endured several minutes of dry heaves. When his stomach had settled he doffed his clothing then climbed into the shower and rinsed off. He brushed his teeth to cleanse his mouth then exited back into the cabin. As he regarded himself in the mirror he thought a cadaver looked more lifelike than him.

Moving to the closet to collect some clean clothes he became aware of a scratching noise behind the small air vent in his cabin. He quickly pulled on his clothes then placed a chair under the vent climbed up and opened it to collect his doll. He reached in cautiously picked it up and jumped down to the deck. Just like the first time there was a coating of blood over its fur but this time its eyes were still open and as he wiped the blood off, it shifted in his hand causing him to almost drop it.

He bolted to the closet and fished through the backpack looking for its box. He panicked momentarily as he realized he had left it in the storage room after he'd attacked Cummins. Not willing to make a run to the room and chance being spotted he gently placed it inside his backpack and zipped it shut hoping that would put the thing back to sleep. After a couple of minutes he unzipped the bag slightly and was disconcerted to find that its eyes were still open and staring directly at him. He momentarily pondered the meaning of that and then it dawned on him that Crane probably wasn't dead. He closed his eyes and gulped in dread.

This was all starting to unravel on him. Surely by now the admiral must believe that these attacks were somehow tied to them and with his attack on Cummins that would lead directly back to him. He cursed quietly aloud at the rotten luck and tried desperately to see some way out of this predicament. He had to get rid of Cummins, that was a certainty otherwise he would tell them of Amherst's attack on him. As he played possible solutions through his mind he was pulled back to the present by a knock at his door.

(o)(o)(o)

"Just a second," he called out in response to the knock. Amherst quickly shoved his backpack containing the mingehe into his locker then answered the door.

"Mr. Amherst we need to talk with you and Mr. Cummins," Chip said.

"Sure no problem," Fred replied. "However Greg's not here. I don't know where he went, he was gone when I woke up."

"Really?" Chip walked down the corridor and grabbed the mic. "Mr. Cummins please report to Dr. Blanchard's cabin immediately. Acknowledge." He stood there for a minute waiting for Cummins to reply to his page but was met with silence. He repeated his call and waited again receiving no reply.

"What's this all about Commander? Does it have something to do with the latest round of emergency sirens?" Amherst asked innocently.

"Please join me in Dr. Blanchard's cabin and we'll fill you in," Morton replied as he turned and walked to the cabin next door. Inside were Blanchard and Nelson waiting for the other men to arrive.

"No Cummins?" Nelson asked as Morton and Amherst entered.

"No, Mr. Amherst said he wasn't in their cabin when he was awakened by the klaxon," Chip answered.

"Hmm, interesting," Nelson replied.

"What's going on Admiral?" Blanchard inquired becoming concerned about his missing man.

"Kevin there was another attack this evening. This time Captain Crane was attacked by a large mandrill leaving him critically injured. One of my security men was also injured in his defense of the captain. The animal managed to get into the ventilation system and disappear," Nelson explained.

"What's that got to do with us?" Blanchard queried.

"We've come to the conclusion that these attacks are somehow tied to you and/or your men," Nelson answered. "First off the attacking beast is indigenous to the regions where you were conducting your research and the attacks started only after you all came aboard. I need you to be honest with me because all our lives may be at risk. Captain Crane was quite certain he shot the animal at least 6 times with no effect. Two of the security team delivered serious blows to the animal's head with their rifle stocks, again to no effect. If there's no way to injure or kill this thing we're all in mortal danger."

"I told you Harri after the first incident that we have nothing like that in the cargo we're bringing back. I will gladly open each and every box to show you that. Each one is crammed full of plant and insect specimens to be used in my research, nothing else would fit." Blanchard explained.

"What about you Mr. Amherst, anything you're not sharing with us?" Nelson inquired.

"No Admiral, I did not hide a 100 pound ape in my backpack and sneak it aboard. I can't speak for Cummins, but I'm pretty sure he didn't either," Amherst replied defensively. Nelson and Morton regarded him for a moment finding his response off given the situation.

"Well as soon as we locate Mr. Cummins we'll ask the same questions of him. Do you have any idea where he would have gone?" Chip asked.

"Maybe the lab, or the wardroom. Other than those two places I can't think of a reason for him to be elsewhere," Amherst replied.

"All right gentlemen, I appreciate your assistance. I would appreciate it if you remained in your cabins for the time being until security can complete their search of the boat. Once that's completed we'll let you know when it's safe to exit your cabins. I would also ask that you limit your excursions to the wardroom, the lab and the nose for the time being," Nelson ordered.

"Of course Admiral, we will stick to our cabins until you let us know we can leave and then go only to the areas you've identified," Blanchard responded.

"Thank you gentlemen, we appreciate that. Also please have Mr. Cummins contact Mr. Morton when he returns to his cabin. I don't like the fact he's currently not answering and I fear for his safety," Nelson added. Both Blanchard and Amherst nodded their agreement as Nelson and Morton exited.

"So you really don't know where Greg went?" Blanchard asked Amherst now that they were alone.

"Honestly Kevin I haven't a clue. He didn't say anything to me before we went to bed and he was gone when the alarms woke me up," Fred offered hoping to come across innocently to his boss.

"Okay, well let me know when he returns. You probably best head back to your cabin now."

"As soon as he walks through the door," Amherst promised. "See you in a bit."

(o)(o)(o)

As Jamieson entered sick bay he began issuing orders immediately. "Frank get the captain prepped for surgery stat. Tom I need two units of AB negative. Get an IV started with ringers, get a surgical tray and get prepped to assist me."

"Yes Doctor," responded both medics.

As the corpsmen moved to carry out their orders Jamie walked to the sink and began scrubbing for surgery. He was racing the clock knowing that the animal bite most likely nicked the subclavian artery in the captain's right shoulder given the volume of blood on the front of his shirt and the rapid and weakening pulse of his patient. If he didn't get that repaired Lee would bleed to death in short order.

Finished with his scrub he turned around and was pleased to find Lee already prepped, IVs in place and Frank standing there with a pair of surgical gloves waiting for the doctor's hands. "Well done Frank," Jamie replied as he shoved his left hand into a glove. Donning the second he saw Tom walk over to join them having completed his scrub and was soon ready to assist the doctor with the captain's surgery.

"All right Tom, let's get to it. Frank take care of Henderson, debride the wound and get it stitched up if there aren't any complications."

Frank nodded. "Yes Doctor. Tom already started the process so it should go quickly."

"Excellent," Jamie replied as he turned his attention to the man lying on the gurney before him.

(o)(o)(o)

It had been nearly two hours since Jamieson had whisked Lee out of his quarters and down to sick bay and Nelson and Morton were beginning to get very concerned and antsy as time dragged on. Chip had logged nearly a mile pacing around the conn and Harri was probably closer to two as he prowled the nose and privately lamented the fact he had given up smoking. As Nelson checked his watch for 100th time he was paged over the intercom by Jamieson.

"Admiral, this is Jamieson."

"Nelson here, what news Jamie?"

"The captain is out of danger. If you would like to come to sick bay I can update you on his condition and Henderson's."

"Great to hear Jamie, we're on our way. Nelson out," Harri replied with a huge sigh. As he looked up he caught the relieved looks from Chip and the rest of the control room crew. "Come along Mr. Morton, let's go talk to the doctor."

"Aye sir," Chip replied. "O'Brien you have the conn. If you need anything we'll be down in sick bay."

"I have the conn sir," O'Brien replied a relieved smile spread across his face.

Nelson and Morton walked quickly down to sick bay to get Jamie's update on Lee's and Henderson's status. Entering the space they immediately spotted Lee tucked into one of the lower bunks still unconscious following his emergency surgery. He had both an IV and whole blood draining into his body. His right shoulder was heavily bandaged and the arm immobilized against his chest.

Nelson walked over to the bunk and gently placed his hand on Lee's uninjured shoulder. "Sleep well son, you're safe now," he whispered into his ear. He moved on to the bunk containing Henderson and checked on him as well. He thanked him for his actions in protecting the captain.

Chip followed behind him and likewise touched Lee's shoulder and whispered words of encouragement to him, letting him know they were there with him. He thanked Henderson as well then moved into Jamie's office and claimed a seat next to the admiral.

"How are they doing Jamie?" Nelson asked once Chip sat down.

"Henderson received a bad bite and will be on sick list for the rest of the mission. He has a lot of damage to his bicep. Luckily for him the thing just missed the brachial artery in his arm," Jamie replied.

"All things considered Lee's doing well. Luckily for him that thing only nicked the subclavian artery when it bit him instead of severing it. That gave us enough time to control the bleeding and get everything patched up but it was close. That thing tore up a lot of muscle tissue both with the bite and with the scratches it inflicted on his back. He's going to be weak for a while due to the blood loss and very sore from the injuries," Jamie continued.

Harri and Chip both blew out sighs of relief at the news. "How soon before he's conscious?"

"I'm going to keep him out for another 24 hours. The patched artery needs to begin to heal before I let him wake up and start stressing it with his attempts to escape."

"That's probably a wise course of action," replied Chip. "If we haven't captured that ape before he wakes up he'll be chomping at the bit to be part of the search party. I think restraints would be the only other way to keep him in his bunk."

"Speaking of which, has there been any progress in locating it?" Jamie asked.

"No, it's like a damn ghost or something. It just suddenly appears, attacks and then vanishes without a trace. We think it's somehow related to our passengers but I can't prove it. Right now Cummins is missing and security is conducting a thorough room by room search of the boat," Nelson answered.

(o)(o)(o)


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Amherst cursed quietly as his hunch that Crane hadn't been killed was confirmed by the admiral. The mingehe must stay animated until it can complete its task, though the shaman hadn't mentioned that fact when he gave him the instructions. As he mentally reviewed all Dharbaka had told him about the thing he rubbed at his shoulder trying to ease the latest round of pains that had plagued him wondering why he was experiencing such agony.

Going through the conversations they had had that night he vaguely remembered Dharbaka saying that vengeance always carried a price and that whoever dispatched the mingehe would have to pay. He hadn't expounded on what payment would be, but given what had occurred following the two times he had set it free Amherst guessed he felt the pain of the victims and any damage the doll received in pursuit of its prey.

Nelson had said Crane indicated he had shot the thing 6 times and that matched perfectly with the six instances of searing agony that had ripped through his body and the shots to the head by the rifle butts explained the headache. It also had to account for why he looked like death warmed over following the death of the crewman. He played through their chat yet again trying to find any mention of how to cancel a task. Then he clearly recalled the shaman's words " _Once set on a path, there is no way to deter it from its mission should reason and forgiveness take root and the sender change his mind."_

Amherst swallowed hard, he was truly and rightly screwed. There was no way to turn this thing off until it eliminated Crane. With the boat on high alert there was no way he could release the mingehe again through the vent shafts to make its way down to the sick bay. He would now have to become actively involved in getting the thing there undetected and then hopefully get out before anyone noticed he had deposited the mingehe and left.

That in itself presented another problem of it returning to him after dispatching the captain. If it was detected and prevented from getting into the vent shafts it would lead them directly back to him. He felt a wave of fear and terror wash over him as all the implications of discovery and retribution suddenly became clear. He had to admit he was somewhat impressed at the level of loyalty and affection the crew and leadership of this vessel felt for Crane. He was certain that if he was found to be the man behind the death of their captain there would be no restraint or sympathy in their response and that would come from the admiral on down.

It amazed him that Nelson was so enamored of the man, to the point of considering him a son. How someone that brilliant could be so bamboozled by a poser blew him away. He had no doubt that Nelson's vengeance would make his actions seem like a picnic and Morton's would be almost equal to that given the man seemed to consider Crane a brother. An involuntary shudder ripped through his body. He had to get this ended and now before everything came home to roost.

As he rocked back and forth on his bunk his plan finally began to resolve itself. He would set the mingehe after Crane and let it finish the work it had started on the good captain. Crane would offer no resistance given the first attack so it should go quickly and he would be able to get back to his cabin undetected. The one thing that turned his stomach was that he would have to be there when it happened since he couldn't have the thing traipsing through the boat.

Once that attack had been discovered everyone would be pulled to sick bay to help respond then he could go to the storage room and set the doll on Cummins hopefully making it appear as though he was the man responsible for what had happened. And like all tragic tales of vengeance the man's monster turned on its master killing him before disappearing for the last time. An evil, sick smile spread across his face. "Yes, that could just work," he said quietly. "It's perfect in fact, brilliant."

"Well first things first," Amherst said to himself as he pushed off his bed. He walked to the closet and pulled out his backpack and removed the mingehe. As he stood there holding the doll he felt the mingehe shift in his hand which caused him to shudder in fear. He shoved his hand into his pocket to retrieve the collar and realized he didn't have it with him. He dashed into the head grabbed his discarded clothing off the floor and rifled desperately through the pockets again finding nothing.

He quickly replayed what he had done and came to the realization that the collar was still with his things in the storage room. He swore viciously at his stupidity; he had become distracted by Cummins and failed to put the collar back in his pocket. Well no helping that now, he needed to set his plan in motion and end this. He would retrieve the collar when he dealt with that meddlesome Cummins.

He placed the doll back in his pack then moved to the door cracked it open and peered up and down the passageway looking for any signs of the security patrols. Finding none he opened the door further and slipped into the passageway then walked as quickly and as quietly as he could to sick bay. He made his way to the door that opened into the bunk room. Cracking the door open slightly he peeked inside and scanned the room.

Inside the lights had been turned down so as not to disturb the injured men resting in the bottom bunks across the room. The divider between the examining room and the bunk room had been drawn shut to further reduce disturbance of the patients. Amherst eased his way into the room silently closing the door behind him. He regarded both men quite apparently sedated and unresponsive. He smiled at his seemingly good fortune, this would be easier than he thought.

(o)(o)(o)

Amherst moved next to Crane's bunk and sneered down at the man lying before him. "Son of a bitch," he said quietly and had to fight back the urge to spit on him. He turned and walked to the corner of the room opened his backpack and removed the mingehe. It squirmed in his hand as though impatient to get on with its task. Amherst shuddered at the movement and quickly put the thing on the floor.

As he stood up he noticed Crane begin to stir in the bed across the room. His eyes slowly fluttered open and quickly focused on Amherst. He stared at him for a long moment obviously confused by his presence as he worked hard to clear out the cobwebs in his brain.

"Amherst, what are you doing here?" Lee croaked out.

"Settling some old debts Crane," Fred hissed back.

Lee blinked his eyes a number of times trying to shove off the effects of Jamie's sedative. He stared intently at the man a moment longer trying to make sense of the situation. "What debts?"

"You don't remember me do you Crane?" he said with scowl. "When you destroy a man's life you should at least have the decency to remember who he is."

"Huh?" Lee replied groggily. "What the hell are you talking about? I've never done anything to you, hell I hadn't even met you until you came aboard."

"Yes you have Crane. Think back, back to Farragut, back to the science fair competition 23 years ago when you cheated and stole the top prize from me!" Amherst spat.

A look of confusion spread across Lee's face. "What? You've got to be kidding. You're pissed because I won a high school science fair?" Lee asked incredulously. "You can't be serious."

"I couldn't be more serious in my life. You took my scholarship and with it my father's respect and approval! You took my chance at going to a great college and becoming a success instead of having to settle for a state school and work as a toady for an overrated hack. What's even worse you wasted the scholarship because you got a free ride at Annapolis!" Amherst snarled. His eyes had taken on a crazed and psychotic glaze as he ranted on. "I'm settling the score now. You took everything from me so now I'm returning the favor."

As Lee stared in amazement at Amherst trying desperately to assemble all the pieces of this puzzle his attention was suddenly drawn to the thing growing larger in the corner of the room. He stared agape for a moment as it finally dawned on him what it was. Noting the change in Crane's focus Amherst's face took on a sneering maniacal leer as he realized his instrument of destruction must have reached full size.

"It's amazing what you can find in the deepest darkest jungles of Africa," Amherst said with an unsettling chuckle. "Meet the instrument of your doom Crane. This is my mingehe and he is going to rip you to shreds," Amherst continued, giggling.

Lee quickly recovered his wits fighting off Jamie's sedation, a trick learned years ago as a young ONI agent. He removed the IVs attached to his arm and honed his focus on the insane man and more importantly the snarling creature in the corner. Fighting the effects of the first attack and the effects of Jamie's surgery he pushed up out of bed and stood unsteadily. He knew he was in trouble feeling as weak as a new born kitten, no weapon at hand and recalling even when he had one it did no good.

The ape in the corner snarled and growled loudly baring its teeth threateningly at Lee as it fought to regain its equilibrium. It began to fidget as it apparently was gathering its strength for the attack. Lee too struggled to regain his balance and to formulate a plan to stave off the impending attack. His eyes quickly scanned the room looking for anything he could use to fend off the beast. He watched as the animal drew itself up as it prepared to lunge. 'Where was everyone?' Lee thought to himself as he found himself coming up blank for a solution to his problem.

Lee pushed away from the bunk and settled into a crouch swaying slightly as pain and sedation still had a hefty grip on him. He shuffled forward closing the distance between him and Amherst. If he was going down he was taking the man responsible for Watkins' death with him. Even as mentally unbalanced as he was Fred immediately noticed the change in Crane's demeanor; there was an intensity and danger in those golden eyes reminiscent of the snapping, snarling beast behind him. He began to shuffle backwards as Lee advanced.

The mingehe had raised up on all fours and was watching the exchange between its master and its prey. It too sensed the shift in power and readied itself to join in the fray. Just as the animal was ready to pounce, Jamieson slid open the accordion divider, drawn by the voices he heard in the other room. He had momentarily stepped out to get additional medications Lee and Henderson required and had missed Amherst's entrance. The sudden activity and flood of light distracted the mingehe and Amherst as their attention was drawn to the doctor.

"Jamie, get out of here!" Lee screamed as he suddenly lunged forward grabbing Amherst and pulling them between the mingehe and the doctor.

At the sudden movement the mingehe lunged, its horrific maw open revealing the sharp and lethal teeth lining its mouth. It plowed into both men slamming them hard against the bunks, biting and clawing as they all collapsed to the floor. There was a sudden high pitched scream of terror and pain as the ape made contact. Lee heard a sickening crunch and a wet tearing noise as the creature's fangs sank into the throat of its helpless victim and whipped its head viciously to the side ripping the soft flesh like tissue paper. The additional force from the bite slammed Crane's head hard against the deck and all went dark. As the screams were suddenly silenced, the room became deathly still.

Momentarily frozen by the horror of the scene Jamie finally came to his senses and lunged to the bulkhead and slapped the alarm in his office. The wail of the emergency siren filled the boat and the mingehe roared in anger and pain. It stumbled to its feet climbing off of the motionless men on the floor and spun quickly around looking for some route of escape. Finding none it focused on the doctor and slowly began to advance on him. It was covered in blood and Jamie swallowed in dread knowing how it got there.

Jamie slowly backed up drawing it away from Lee and Amherst. He hoped he could keep its attention on him and away from the downed men until security arrived. He stared in fear at the thing as it snapped and snarled as it continued its advance on him. Jamie suddenly realized that the animal seemed to be shrinking in size the closer it came. As it got smaller the animal's rate of advancement slowed until it finally stopped, sat down and drew itself into a tight seated position at his feet, its beady yellow eyes still fixed on the stunned man in front of it.

Just then Chip and the security detail burst into the room followed closely by Nelson. They stared in amazement as the mandrill began to rapidly shrink in size until it was just six inches tall. It remained there momentarily shifting slightly back and forth as if finding a balanced position then its eyes snapped shut and became completely still.

They stared at the thing incredulously until their attention was broken by the release of a weak sigh from the other room. Jamie immediately jumped over the hideous doll and rushed to the two men lying on the floor. Amherst was lying on top of Lee and it was quite obvious that he was dead having had his throat ripped out by that thing now sitting on the floor in his office.

Chip and Harri were at Jamie's side seconds later and they quickly rolled Amherst's body off of Lee. Jamie placed his fingers on the side of Lee's neck and let out a sigh of relief as he detected a rapid pulse. "Come on help me get him on the exam table," Jamie directed and was immediately aided by numerous hands gently lifting the captain off the floor and placing him carefully on the table.

He was covered in blood but Jamie had no idea how much was his and how much belonged to Amherst. Once on the table Jamie quickly checked Lee over. "Damn, he's torn the sutures in his shoulder. Hopefully it's only the external ones and the ones holding his artery together are unaffected. Frank get his vitals, stat," Jamie ordered as he cut away the saturated bandages to get to Lee's injuries.

"I'm on it Doctor," Frank replied already in motion even before the doctor's commands. He quickly applied the BP cuff and pumped it up. "BP 115 over 80, pulse 65, respiration 10. Doc, it looks as though he sustained a concussion when that thing attacked him. His pupils are becoming more and more unequal and slower to react."

Jamie let loose an exasperated sigh as he cleaned the wound and removed the torn sutures. "Damn, that's the last thing he needed," Jamie fussed but still smiled a bit. "However based on the other readings everything inside is still intact. Frank get me a suture tray."

"Yes Doctor," Frank replied as he set the tray in front of Jamieson garnering an appreciative smile from the physician.

(o)(o)(o)

As Jamie prepared to repair the damage done to Lee during the ape's attack Chip was paged over the intercom. "Mr. Morton, this is Security Unit 2."

Chip walked over to the intercom in Jamie's office and picked up the handset. "This is Morton, go ahead."

"Sir this is Baker. We're in storage room C-4 and have just discovered Mr. Cummins unconscious and tied up behind a bunch of crates. Looks like someone nailed him in the back of the head with a pipe then secured his hands and feet with zip ties and slapped duct tape over his mouth to keep him quiet if he came to. We need someone from sick bay here ASAP."

"Copy that Baker, I'm in sick bay now and will have a stretcher team dispatched to your location immediately," Chip replied as he made eye contact with Tom who nodded and grabbed a stretcher and Patterson.

"Copy that sir. Uh we also found a bag hidden back behind the crates. The stuff inside looks like it's something from a voodoo ceremony or something. There's this weird stone bowl, a bag of some sort of powder, a razor, a gold collar attached to a chain, a wooden box and a notebook full of what looks like incantations or spells and instructions," Baker continued.

Chip quirked an eyebrow at the report and turned to look at the admiral. Nelson was busily prodding and inspecting the inert figurine on the floor of Jamie's office. "Tell him to take it to my lab," Harri replied to Chip's unvoiced query.

"Yes sir. Baker take the bag and anything else you've found to the admiral's lab at once."

"Aye sir. I'll take it down as soon as the medics collect Mr. Cummins."

"Very well, Morton out."

Now comfortable that the doll on the floor was most likely inert Nelson carefully picked it up and began to examine it in earnest. He turned it this way and that looking at every aspect of the thing that nearly murdered his captain and surrogate son. He passed the thing to Chip who gingerly accepted it. He was amazed at the heft of it given its small stature, now.

"What the hell do you think this thing is?" Chip asked handing it back to the admiral.

"I haven't a clue, but I'm hoping that whatever Baker found will provide the answers we need," Nelson replied. He turned and looked to the CMO noting he had completed his sewing job and was currently slathering the sutures with antibiotic cream to help stave off any infection.

"Well Jamie how is he?" Nelson asked.

"Damn lucky, Harri," Jamie replied. "He only managed to tear out the surface sutures and there's no sign of internal bleeding so I think he's safe. He did however manage to pick up one heck of a concussion when that thing slammed them to the deck. That will knock him back another few days. I'm just amazed he was even awake let alone able to get out of bed and take on Amherst. I had enough sedative pumped into him to keep him out for 24 hours."

Nelson and Morton gave a quick smile at the doctor's report. "Can you tell us what happened in here, Jamie?" Nelson asked.

"Well aside from the obvious there's not much else I can add. I had gone to the secured storage locker to get additional supplies so I missed Amherst's arrival. When I got back I heard voices in the other room and when I pulled open the door to investigate everything went to hell in a handbasket," Jamie replied.

"It was quite obvious that Lee and Amherst were at odds about something, the tension was so thick it was palpable and then there was that _thing_ sitting in the corner snarling and growling at the two as they stared at each other. When I opened the door I think that broke the standoff and it was nothing but action after that. Lee yelled at me to get out then lunged at Amherst and placed them between me and the animal. That thing went directly towards them and attacked. Amherst was in front of Lee so it attacked him first. What was strange was that after it killed him it suddenly stopped its attack like it was stunned or confused. At that point I was able to sound the alarm and that seemed to cause it considerable pain. It climbed off of them and then staggered towards me at which point I realized it was getting smaller the closer it came."

"Hmm," Harri responded to the report. "I suppose we'll just have to wait until Lee is conscious before we can ask him what it was all about. He is going to be all right isn't he Jamie?"

"He should be Harri. As I said there was no internal damage to his earlier injury and the concussion will most likely take the same course as those he's had before. He's going to be hurting when he wakes up and very, very weak. Once he's alert and up to conversation I'll let you know," Jamie answered.

"Thanks Jamie. Keep us posted," Nelson replied. "Come on Chip let's go visit Dr. Blanchard and see if he can shed any light on the subject. Then we'll head down to the lab and see what Baker found."

(o)(o)(o)


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Blanchard quickly answered the knock at the door and was surprised to find Nelson and Morton. "Hi Harri, what's going on?"

"Kevin we need to speak with you. First off I regret to inform you that Fred Amherst is dead. He was killed by the ape that has been attacking members of my crew," Nelson started. He noted the look of surprise on Blanchard's face but there was little remorse reflected there.

"That's unfortunate," Blanchard replied evenly.

"I take it Amherst was not your favorite person?" Chip inquired.

"I'm sorry that he's dead but in answer to your question, no he was not one of my favorite people. He was very intelligent but he always seemed to be walking around with a chip on his shoulder. I always got the impression that he felt what he was doing in support of our mission was beneath him. He only did what he absolutely had to do. If I were to go back out in the field again, he would be the last person I would take with me." Kevin answered truthfully. "You said first off, is there something else that's happened?"

"Yes, one of our security teams discovered Greg Cummins unconscious and tied up in one of the storage rooms. He's been taken to sick bay to be treated but has yet to regain consciousness. In addition to finding him, the team also found a number of articles that were apparently used in some sort of ritual or ceremony. Do you know anything about this?" Nelson asked.

This time there was a very real look of shock and concern on Blanchard's face. "Oh my god is he going to be all right?"

"As I said he's being tended to by Dr. Jamieson. Once we get a report from him we'll let you know," Harri replied. "I take it you don't know anything about the items the security team found?"

"No. What did they find? Can you show them to me, maybe I can tell you how they would have been used?"

"We are heading down to my lab to check them out, I would appreciate it if you would accompany us," Nelson continued. Blanchard nodded his assent.

"There's one other thing. This is what attacked my men," Nelson said as he held up the doll. "Do you have any knowledge about this?"

Harri handed the figurine to Blanchard and noted the look of curiosity and surprise on his face. "This? You're telling me this attacked the men on this boat? How is that possible?" he replied as he closely examined the doll.

"I was hoping you could tell me. This thing has the ability to be animated into what appears to be a fully living full sized mandrill. After it killed Amherst it turned to attack Jamieson and then suddenly began to shrink until it reached its current size and then became inanimate," Nelson explained. "Have you heard anything about a creature like this in your time in the jungle?"

Blanchard stared and Nelson and Morton incredulously. "Seriously? You're telling me this thing can be animated and it carried out the attacks on the people on board?'

"Yes, we're deadly serious. We watched it as it began to shrink in size and then finally froze and took on the appearance you see now. So I take it by your response you haven't encountered anything like this or heard any stories or legends referring to such creatures?" Morton replied.

"No, not while I was there. Amherst was the one that was really interested in the various tribal beliefs and religions. He spent quite a bit of time with the shamans from each of the tribes we stayed with while we collected our samples."

"Do you know of any reason why Mr. Amherst would be at odds with Captain Crane?" Nelson inquired.

"No. I didn't think they had met prior to us coming aboard. He never mentioned anything about knowing the captain and knowing Amherst he would have played that up to no end. Why?"

"Dr. Jamieson, who happened to have witnessed the attack that killed Amherst, said that when he came into the bunk room, Crane and Amherst were apparently having a disagreement of some sort. Based on what we're finding out it looks as though Amherst was behind all of this," Nelson explained. "If you'll accompany us to the lab and take a look at what was found in the storage room hopefully we can get some answers?"

"Of course Harri I'll gladly help any way I can."

(o)(o)(o)

They quickly made their way down to the lab and found a black medium-sized nylon bag resting on top of one of the counters. Nelson walked over unzipped the bag and peered inside for a moment before reaching in and extracting the contents. First thing he pulled out was a wooden box, followed by the bowl, the pouch of powder, the razor, the gold chain and finally a small notebook.

Blanchard reached forward and picked up the bowl. "This looks like one of the bowls used by the shaman of the Baka tribe," he said as he examined it.

Nelson picked up the pouch untied the leather thong at the top and opened the bag. Inside was a black powder that looked similar to gun powder. He reached inside took a pinch of the powder and rubbed it between his fingers. It felt slick and silky like graphite. He then sniffed his fingertips and caught a hint of sulphur and something that smelled like decaying plant matter and mineral oil.

He passed the pouch to Chip who took a quick sniff and wrinkled his nose at the off-putting scent. Harri then grabbed the notebook and began leafing through the pages. He halted his progress as his eyes locked on the words 'animation spell' as he neared the end.

"What is it Harri?" Blanchard asked.

"This section is devoted to an animation spell for a mingehe or forest spirit. Apparently the owner of this mingehe makes an offering to the spirit in the form of blood and something of the intended victim, recites the passage then lights the powder and offering on fire to set the thing off to carry out an act of retribution," Harri replied as he quickly scanned the notes. "He got this from a shaman named Dharbaka in trade for a number of things."

"Dharbaka? He's a shaman of the Baka tribe. Amherst hung out with him most of the time we stayed with the tribe. I would say that proves it was Amherst controlling that thing if it really does come to life," Blanchard provided.

"Oh it most certainly comes alive Kevin," Harri answered. "The next question is what did he have against Lee? Reading his notes the mingehe is only supposed to go after the intended victim. Then why did the animal kill Watkins and why Amherst? According to this it's only supposed to kill the specific target and the owner is supposed to be protected as long as he has possession of the collar."

"This collar, sir?" Chip asked as he picked up the collar and chain from the countertop.

"Apparently so. Looks like he didn't have it on him and became collateral damage when Lee grabbed him and positioned them between the mingehe and Jamie. But why Watkins, unless he made a mistake in what he offered to the spirit. And why attack Cummins?"

"Well hopefully Greg will come around shortly and at least be able to answer that question for us," Kevin interjected.

"Admiral this is Jamieson."

Nelson strode over to the mic on the wall and snatched it up. "This is Nelson, go ahead Jamie."

"Admiral, Mr. Cummins has regained consciousness and the captain is showing signs of coming around as well," Jamieson replied.

"Thank you Doctor, we'll be right there. Nelson out," Harri acknowledged. "Well gentlemen it looks like we're about to get the answers to most of our questions. Shall we head down to sick bay?"

(o)(o)(o)

Nelson, Morton and Blanchard arrived in sick bay within minutes of Jamieson's call. Upon entering Nelson made a beeline for Lee's bunk to check on his son. Lee was pale and sported new bandages where Jamie had completed his repair work and his arm was again securely bound to his chest to prevent any movement that might stress the intricate stitching. As he looked down at him Lee sighed and slowly moved his head from side to side as he worked hard at throwing off the effects of his latest encounter with the mingehe and Jamieson.

"Come on back son, you're safe now," Harri said quietly as he gently patted Lee's cheek. Having checked on his captain, Nelson walked over to Cummins and Chip moved over to Lee's bed to check on his brother.

Cummins and Blanchard were chatting quietly when Nelson joined them. "How are you feeling Mr. Cummins?" Nelson asked.

"Kind of like I was slammed head first into a brick wall, Admiral," Cummins replied.

"Would you be up to telling us what you remember of the attack on you?" Harri inquired.

"Sure Admiral, although there isn't a whole lot to tell. About 0200 this morning I heard Amherst get up and then exit our cabin. He'd been acting odder than usual since we had come aboard so I decided to follow him and find out what he was up to at that hour of the morning," Cummins began, "I followed him to a storage room and watched him go inside then shut the door. Once he was inside I moved over to the door and tried the knob but he had locked it. I positioned myself outside the door and waited for him to emerge. I didn't have my watch on but I think it took him about 20 to 30 minutes to come back out."

"When he came back out I could tell he was really surprised and almost fearful of my presence. I asked him what he'd been up to and he said he got a doll of some kind from Dharbaka and he could make it come alive if he used some powder, said some words and lit the powder on fire. He said he was practicing so he could show his nephew when he got home. He asked me if I wanted to see then led me over to where he had stashed his stuff. He pulled it all out of the bag and I was looking at the items, that was the last thing I remember," Cummins concluded.

"Well that definitely establishes that it was Amherst behind all this. The last unanswered question is why? I don't suppose he gave you any insight to that?" Nelson responded.

"No, I had no idea he knew anybody on Seaview. Usually he's quite the name dropper if he thinks it will curry him any special treatment or regard," Cummins answered.

As Harri concluded his interview with Cummins their attention was drawn to a low moan and movement from Lee's bunk as he finally made his way back from the abyss. Jamie was at his side instantly checking his vitals and making sure he didn't make any rapid movements that might damage his repairs.

"Lee, Lee can you hear me?" Jamie inquired. "Come on Captain open your eyes please."

Lee moaned in pain as his head announced it was not in the least way happy with being slammed into the deck. That sensation was quickly followed by the deep ache and periodic stab of pain in his right shoulder and painful throb in his back. He next registered both the faint odor of disinfectant and Jamie's voice urging him to open his eyes.

Lee groaned again, not so much in pain but in the realization that he was once more relegated to the confines of sick bay and in the clutches of his medical nemesis, Will Jamieson. Given his quick assessment of his injuries, it was most likely that he would be hard pressed to escape any time soon. He slowly cracked his eyes open and even in the subdued lighting of the bunk room, the sudden influx of light felt like an ice pick jammed through his eyes and into his brain. He clamped his eyes shut again then heard another voice exhorting him to open them back up.

"Come on son, open your eyes for the doctor," Nelson said as he gently laid his hand on the captain's uninjured shoulder.

Lee gave it one more try and this time the intrusion of light was not nearly so painful, at least until Jamie shined his pen light into his eyes. "Ugh," Lee moaned as he tried to turn his head away. "Damn Jamie that hurts."

Jamie had quickly grabbed Lee's chin to keep him from turning away and preventing his evaluation of his patient. "If you would just stay still this will be over quickly," he chastised quietly accompanied with a chuckle. "All right that's done, now if you would recite all the pertinent information I need."

Lee scowled at him for a moment but found even that movement hurt. He sighed loudly in resignation then spoke, "Crane, Lee Benjamin, Commander, Captain, SSRN Seaview, attacked by a monkey, I think."

Jamie nodded indicating his answers were acceptable. He reached over to the tray stationed near Lee's bunk retrieved a cup of water and helped his patient take a couple of sips. "Well his neurological signs are good, Admiral. He should recover in time."

A wide smile spread across Harri's face as he got the good news. "Glad to have you back lad. How are you feeling?"

"Like I went ten rounds with an ape, twice," Lee replied with a grimace.

"That you did lad," Harri answered with a quick smile. "Do you feel up to telling us about your last run in with the mandrill?"

"Sure, sir. It all just seems so surreal. As I was lying in bed I suddenly got a feeling like there was someone in the room with me and I fought hard to wake up. When I could finally focus there was Amherst at the side of my bed staring down at me with this look of disgust or disdain," Lee started. "I asked him what he was doing here and he said he was settling old debts. Apparently I beat him in the high school science fair when I was in the 9th grade and he felt that was the one thing that caused him to be a failure in life and lose his father's respect."

"As we were talking and I was trying to get my mind wrapped around what he was saying I noticed motion in the corner of the room. That's when I spotted that thing that attacked me in my cabin, only it was smaller, like 6 or 8 inches tall. That was until it started to grow bigger at an alarming rate. Within a minute or so the thing was over 4 feet tall and began snarling and snapping at me from behind Amherst. I managed to get up out of bed and just about then Jamie opened the door and that seemed to set everything in motion. I told Jamie to get out and then lunged for Amherst hoping to draw that thing's attention from Jamie and focus back on us. Well it did and it lunged at us slamming us hard against the bunks then we collapsed onto the floor. The last thing I remember was Amherst's screams then it all went black," Lee finished with a shudder as the memory of events coalesced in his mind.

"Seriously?! He was out to get you because you beat him in your high school science fair?" Chip asked incredulously.

"Yeah, that's what he said; I told you it was surreal. The prize came with a scholarship and because he didn't get that he said he couldn't go to the university he really wanted to. I had no idea who he was, he was a senior and I was just a lowly freshman at the time," Lee replied. "I think he was also pissed because he thought I didn't use the scholarship because I went to the Academy, which wasn't true. I actually got permission to use the scholarship to help cover my costs at Farragut since I was basically back on my own by then."

"What was your project?" Chip asked.

"I built a small helium-neon pump laser," Lee answered as though his project was no more advanced than a paper mache volcano.

"Of course you did," Chip replied with an eye roll. "A 9th grader and you built a laser? Was there ever a time you weren't an over-achiever?" Lee sneered at him in response.

Harri chuckled quietly. "What was Amherst's project, Lee?" Nelson inquired.

"I really couldn't tell you sir. At that point in school I was pretty much lucky just to keep tabs on myself. I was still busy playing catch-up and learning how to go by the rules," Lee replied. "He was upset I had no idea who he was. He told me and I quote, ' _When you destroy a man's life you should at least have the decency to remember who he is_ '. The whole situation was incredibly bizarre," Lee added then sighed heavily as the stress and recent blood loss left him struggling to get enough oxygen.

"That's enough for now gentlemen, the captain here needs more sleep. You can talk with him later _after_ he's had at least 8 hours of rest," Jamie interjected as he moved back to his patient.

"Very well Jamie," Nelson replied. "Listen to Jamie, son and get some rest. You look as though you can use it."

"Yes sir," Lee replied as his eyes began to slide shut.

"Well gentlemen I'd say that's enough for now. I'm going to head to my cabin and review Amherst's notes and the items in his bag. We can resume this once Lee's had the rest he needs and Jamie lets us back in." Nelson stated.

(o)(o)(o)

Harri sighed heavily as he finished the last page in Amherst's journal and closed the book. He once again looked over the items needed to invoke the mingehe and gave a brief shudder as he recalled the damage it had caused. He opened the small box removed the doll and set it on the desk in front of him. He then reached over and picked up the gold collar and placed it around its neck and clamped it shut.

Amherst's notes had been quite detailed regarding what the tribal shaman had told him about the history of this thing and the process of reanimating, controlling and dispatching it to carry out its assigned task of vengeance. He assumed that Amherst had been killed because he no longer carried the collar and therefore had no protection from the mingehe once it tried to go after Lee in sick bay.

The momentary hesitation and confusion that Jamie noted was most likely caused when the animal's master had been killed severing the bond between them. That was just supposition on his part since it wasn't mentioned anywhere in the notes. The one thing that truly concerned him was that the mingehe had been unable to carry out its primary task to kill Lee Crane. Again there was no discussion of this and he wondered if the contract had been satisfied with Amherst's death or if it would resume its hunt for his son if ever given the opportunity to reanimate again to finish the bargain.

Harri picked up the doll and regarded it once more. After a moment he placed it in its box, replaced the lid and then pulled a roll of duct tape out of his desk drawer and taped it shut. He arose from his chair and moved to his wall safe opened it up placed the box inside along with Amherst's journal then closed the door and spun the lock. He was taking no chances. Once they returned to Santa Barbara he would make sure that thing never saw the light of day again.

As he moved back to his desk he was hailed by Jamie. "Admiral this is Jamieson."

"Nelson here, what is it Will?"

"Sir, Captain Crane is awake and ready for dinner if you would like to join him."

"I'll be right there," Nelson replied, a relieved smile spreading across his face.

Harri shoved the rest of the articles laid out on his desk back into the bag then deposited it in his desk drawer and locked it. He moved to the head to wash his hands then exited his cabin heading down to sick bay to enjoy a meal with his captain and son and probably give his CMO a much needed break.

As Nelson's cabin became quiet following the departure of its occupant, the mingehe shifted slightly in its box and two piercing yellow eyes snapped open. It could wait for as long as it takes for the opportunity to complete its task.

The End.

O

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Thank you to all who have read my story and especially those who commented. I appreciate your comments and reviews very much. I'm thrilled you enjoyed the story and found my mingehe a little unsettling. I loved hearing about your reactions to my monster and hope I didn't keep you up too many nights. Your interest and support makes this a lot of fun. Merci - Obrigado - Grazie - Thanks


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